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THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH 
IN  NEW  YORK 


£W®&y  0-B HaH./vy. 


9 


Most  Reverend  John  M.  Farley 
1902 


THE 

CATHOLIC  CHURCH 
IN  NEW  YORK 

A  History  of  the  New  York  Diocese  From  its 
Establishment  in  1808  to  the  Present  Time 

BY 

THE  REV.  JOHN  TALBOT  SMITH,  LL.D. 

AUTHOR  OF  “  THE  TRAINING  OF  A  PRIEST,”  “  HISTORY  OF 
OGDENSBURG,”  “  THE  CHAPLAIN  SERMONS,”  ETC.,  ETC. 

WITH  INTRODUCTION  BY  THE 

RIGHT  REVEREND  JOSEPH  F.  MOONEY,  V.G. 

Vol.  II 


New  York  and  Boston 
H  all  &  Locke  Company 


Copyrighted,  1905,  bt 
JOHN  TALBOT  SMITH 
NEW  YORK. 


Nihil  obstat: 

James  McGean,  Censor  Deputatus. 
Imprimatur : 

•b  John,  Archbishop  of  New  York. 


map  i  s  |970 


By  agreement,  the  text  plates  and  copyright  of  this  History  are  to  be  deposited  in  the 
archives  and  to  become  the  property  of  the  Diocese  of  New  York. 


BOSTON  COLLEGE  LIBRARY 
CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS, 


557514 


CONTENTS 


VOLUME  II 

CHAPTER  XX 

The  Education  and  Charity  Systems 

The  discussion  of  religious  education. — The  spread  of  indifference. — The  growth  of  the  church 
schools.  —  Their  character  and  usefulness.  —  The  compromise  method.  —  Experiments  at 
Poughkeepsie  and  Rondout.  —  School  attendance.  —  Higher  education,  seminary,  college, 
and  convent.  —  Brownson’s  extreme  opinion.  —  The  growth  of  charitable  institutions.  —  The 
great  foundation  of  Levi  Silliman  Ives.  —  Father  Drumgoole.  —  Refuges  and  hospitals.  — 
The  laws  of  1875.  — The  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  conferences . 329 

CHAPTER  XXI 
The  Religious  Communities 

Their  popularity.  — The  American  communities  very  successful.  —  Eminent  Jesuits.  —  The  activ¬ 
ity  of  the  Paulists.  —  The  rapid  rise  of  the  Christian  Brothers.  —  The  female  communities 
increase  remarkably.  —  The  Sisters  of  Charity  take  the  lead.  —  Characteristics  of  the  various 
societies.  —  Criticism  of  their  methods.  —  The  new  communities  mostly  from  Europe.  — 
Success  of  the  hospital  sisters . 346 


CHAPTER  XXII 
Church  Legislation 

The  Second  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore.  —  Its  pastoral  letter.  —  A  bold  and  able  document.  — 
New  York’s  Third  Synod.  —  Its  officers  and  sessions.  —  Its  many  decrees  described.  —  The 
Fourth  Synod  and  its  officers.  —  The  Fourth  Provincial  Council  of  New  York.  —  A  very  not¬ 
able  gathering.  —  Its  decrees  and  their  effect.  —  The  pastoral  letter  of  the  bishops  .  .  .  362 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
Relations  with  the  Holy  See 

American  devotion  to  the  Pope.  —  A  loyalty  without  shadow.  —  The  American  embassy  at  Rome. 

—  Its  service  to  the  Irish  College.  —  A  Papal  Loan  placed  with  New  York  bankers.  —  The 
attack  on  the  Temporal  Power.  —  The  Papal  Zouaves  from  Montreal.  —  An  attempt  to  raise 
an  American  battalion  for  the  Pope.  —  Rejected  by  the  Archbishops.  —  The  Vatican  Council. 

—  Archbishop  McCloskey  unfavorable  to  definition  of  Infallibility.  —  Meetings  of  protest 

against  occupation  of  Rome.  —  Election  of  Leo  XIII.  —  The  dissensions  over  the  Parnell 
leadership.  —  Cardinal  McCloskey  saves  the  American  College  in  Rome.  —  Prompt  interven¬ 
tion  by  President  Arthur . 379 


yi 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Letters  and  Journalism 

The  last  years  of  Brownson.  —  His  friends  provide  him  with  an  annuity.  —  His  contributions  to 
various  journals.  —  Editor  of  the  New  York  Tablet.  —  Revives  his  famous  Review  for  three 
years.  —  Dies  in  Detroit.  —  Editor  McMaster  plays  the  role  of  Louis  Veuillot.  —  Not  with 
success.  —  His  last  years  peaceful.  —  Maurice  F.  Egan.  —  The  Sadlier  family  and  the  Tablet. 
—  Mrs.  James  Sadlier.  —  The  Catholic  World  and  its  contributors.  —  The  Catholic  Review  and 
its  editor.  —  Other  notable  publications.  —  Catholics  in  secular  journalism.  —  The  popular 
Catholic  authors  of  the  period . 392 


CHAPTER  XXV 
Friends  and  Enemies 

Favorable  feeling  towards  Catholics.  —  Notable  conversions.  —  Rev.  James  Kent  Stone.  —  George 
Hecker  and  his  family.  —  Storrs  Willis.  —  Ida  Greeley.  —  Rev.  William  Henry  Hoyt.  —  Eliza 
Austen,  artist.  —  Generals  Scammon,  Stone,  and  Newton.  —  Mrs.  Hicks  Lord  and  Mrs.  Starr. 
—  The  widow  and  daughters  of  General  Philip  Kearney.  —  The  Van  Renssalear  family.  — 
Oliver  Buel  and  his  family.  —  George  Bliss  and  his  wife.  —  Protestant  enmity.  —  The  Harper 
publications.  —  The  New  York  Herald.  —  The  Times  under  George  Jones.  —  Eminent 
ministers  on  the  Chinese.  —  Proselytism  and  the  Freedom  of  Worship  Bills.  —  The  defeat  of 
the  bigots.  —  The  death  and  obsequies  of  the  Cardinal . 404 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
The  Third  Archbishop 

His  career  in  Newark.  —  His  personal  characteristics.  —  His  success  in  the  Fifth  Synod.  —  His 
family  and  their  benefactions.  —  His  method  of  work  and  life.  —  Personal  relations  with  Dr. 
Edward  McGlynn.  —  The  various  phases  of  the  McGlynn  question.  —  Failure  to  keep  it  a 
diocesan  affair.  —  The  compromise  school  question.  —  The  discipline  introduced  by  Delegate 
Satolli.  —  The  Cahensly  troubles.  —  The  question  of  Americanism.  —  The  last  years  of  his 
administration  . 414 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
The  Progress  of  the  Clergy 

The  native  clergy  take  the  lead.  —  The  literary  priests  overcome  a  prejudice.  —  A  larger 
share  in  diocesan  administration  for  the  priests.  —  Their  attitude  on  various  questions.  — 
The  Land  League,  and  the  school  question.  —  Their  addresses  of  loyalty  to  the  Archbishop. 
—  Impression  made  on  the  public.  —  An  opposition  party  is  formed.  —  The  development  of 
the  modem  parish.  —  The  Cathedral  and  Paulist  examples.  —  Organization  among  the  Ger¬ 
mans.  —  The  mission  to  non-Catholics.  —  The  Reading  Circle  movement.  —  The  Catholic 
Summer  School.  —  The  leading  priests  of  the  diocese . 430 


CONTENTS 


vii 


CHAPTER  XXVIH 
The  Character  of  the  Laity 

New  York  dominated  by  Catholics.  —  The  politicians  keep  down  Catholic  representation  in  civic 
offices.  —  The  Irish,  the  Germans,  and  the  Italians.  —  Failure  of  the  Italians  to  practise  their 
religion.  —  The  Poles,  French  and  Canadians.  —  The  Italian  missionaries  begin  to  appear.  — 
Catholics  in  journalism,  law,  and  politics.  —  New  York  elects  three  Catholic  mayors.  —  Joseph 
Chamberlain  charges  the  Irish  in  America  with  causing  municipal  corruption.  —  Catholics  in 
education.  —  Eminent  business  men.  —  The  astonishing  growth  of  benefit  associations.  — 
Their  national  organization.  —  The  Catholic  Clubs.  —  The  gifts  of  the  Reynal,  Iselin,  Kelly, 
Grace,  Hecker,  Crimmins,  Ryan,  and  Smith  families . 446 

CHAPTER  XXIX 
The  Five  Synods 

The  spirit  and  the  decrees  of  the  Third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore.  —  Their  effect  on  New  York 
seen  in  the  Fifth  Synod.  —  Its  statutes  against  heretical  gatherings,  Spiritism  and  Socialism. 
—  Character  of  the  non-Catholic  world.  —  Vile  literature.  —  The  building  of  church  schools. 


—  The  new  diocesan  officials.  —  The  condemnation  of  three  well-known  societies.  —  Rules  for 
foreigners.  —  Protecting  the  liberty  of  their  native  children.  —  The  decrees  of  the  synod  a 
monument  to  the  Archbishop.  —  Four  other  synods  add  only  a  few  decrees . 460 


CHAPTER  XXX 

The  Parishes  and  the  Churches 

The  remarkable  growth  of  New  York.  —  The  parish  as  the  unit  of  administration.  —  The  heavy 
demand  upon  its  resources.  —  Its  aid  to  the  untrained  immigrants.  —  The  experiment  upon 
the  Italians  in  St.  Patrick’s.  —  The  mixed  parishes.  —  The  parish  societies  and  their  work  for 
the  church.  —  The  parish  inaugurates  and  maintains  the  church  school.  —  The  shifting  of 
population  and  its  results.  —  The  making  of  new  parishes.  —  The  architecture  and  decoration 
of  the  churches.  —  The  Cathedral,  St.  John  Evangelist’s,  The  Holy  Rosary,  All  Saints,  St. 
Paul’s,  St.  Francis  Xavier’s,  St.  Peter’s,  St.  Ignatius’,  St.  Francis  de  Sales,  St.  Augustine’s, 
St.  Jerome’s,  New  Rochelle,  and  Yonkers  churches . 469 

CHAPTER  XXXI 
The  Church  Schools 

Religion  loses  its  place  in  the  common  schools.  —  The  consequent  spread  of  agnosticism.  —  Rise 
of  the  church  school.  —  The  practical  question  of  expense.  —  The  war  over  the  compromise 
school. —  The  Catholic  education  scheme  outlined  by  the  Pope.  —  Remarkable  words  of  Dr. 
Hodge  of  Princeton  on  Christian  education.  —  Superintendency  of  schools  inaugurated  by  Rev. 
M.  J.  Considine.  —  Result  of  ten  years’  work.  —  Schools  and  colleges  try  to  meet  the  wants  of 
the  people.  —  Special  enterprises  of  zealous  workers.  —  The  Christian  Brothers  and  Latin 
teaching.  — The  Jesuits  at  Fordham.  — The  building  of  Dunwoodie  and  the  Sulpicians  .  483 


Vlll 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

The  Works  of  Charity 

The  new  forms  of  charity.  —  Day-nurseries  and  cancer  hospitals.  —  The  Grace  Institute.  —  Conva¬ 
lescent  and  fresh  air  homes.  —  Rose  Hawthorne  Lathrop.  —  Voluntary  charity  associations. 

—  Clubs  for  boys  and  girls.  —  Mrs.  Arnold  and  Mrs.  Delancey  Kane.  —  Increased  efficiency 

and  success  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Conference.  —  The  Home  Bureau  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Mulry.  —  The  results  of  the  Constitutional  Convention.  —  Appointment  of  a  superintendent 
of  the  charities.  —  Its  valuable  consequences.  —  Formation  of  a  Catholic  Charities  Associa¬ 
tion.  —  The  work  of  the  volunteers  is  systematized . 492 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 
The  Religious  Communities 

The  communities  monopolize  the  education  and  charity  work.  —  Their  work  better  and  cheaper. 

—  Increase  of  lay  workers  and  teachers.  —  The  statistics  of  membership.  —  Change  in  their 

methods  made  necessary  by  state  invasion.  —  Relation  between  the  religious  and  the  diocesan 
clergy  cordial.  —  The  progress  of  the  Jesuits.  —  The  enterprise  of  the  Paulists.  —  The  new 
work  of  the  Christian  Brothers.  —  A  list  of  the  newT  communities.  —  The  old  communities 
hold  their  prestige.  —  The  new  remain  limited  in  numbers  and  opportunities  ....  502 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 
Relations  with  Pope  Leo  XIII 

American  admiration  for  this  Pontiff.  —  The  press  favors  him.  —  The  story  of  his  diplomatic  suc¬ 
cesses  in  Europe.  —  Opening  of  the  Vatican  archives  and  making  Newman  a  cardinal.  —  His 
dealing  with  the  Land  League.  —  The  McGlynn  affair.  —  The  Knights  of  Labor.  —  His 
Encyclical  on  labor.  —  The  disputes  over  the  Washington  University.  —  The  Pope  displeased 
with  New  York.  —  He  sends  America  a  Delegate,  authorized  to  end  all  disputes.  —  The  troubles 
of  Monsignor  Satolli.  —  The  letter  on  Americanism.  —  The  death  of  the  Pope . 611 

CHAPTER  XXXV 
The  Catholic  Press 

The  press  suffers  a  severe  decline  in  importance.  —  Reason  for  it.  —  The  publishing  houses  either 
fail,  die  out,  or  lose  caste.  —  Death  of  Hickey  followed  by  the  death  of  his  useful  publications. 

—  The  fate  of  the  Freeman's  Journal.  —  The  new  publications  of  doubtful  value.  —  Their 
methods  and  profits.  —  The  progress  of  the  Catholic  World  and  the  Messenger.  —  The  use 
of  the  press  by  the  Paulists  and  Jesuits.  —  A  new  review  from  Dunwoodie  Seminary.  —  The 
premium  book  business.  —  The  notable  writers  of  the  time.  —  Lathrop,  Murray,  Brother 
Azarias,  Seton,  Parsons,  Herbermann,  Crawford,  the  Sadliers,  Mrs.  Martin,  Miss  Taggart, 
Miss  Brunowe,  Miss  Faber,  Miss  Crowley,  Seumas  McManus,  Conde  Pallen,  Dr.  J.  J.  Walsh. 

—  The  founding  of  a  Catholic  daily . 521 


CONTENTS 


IX 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Friends  and  Enemies 

The  spirit  of  the  times  softens  towards  Catholics.  —  Growth  of  Indifferentism.  —  The  sects  lose 
millions  to  Agnosticism.  —  The  press  makes  an  effort  to  be  fair  to  Catholics.  —  It  becomes 
easier  for  converts  to  enter  the  Church.  —  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Bliss.  —  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hildreth 
Field.  —  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Parsons  Lathrop.  —  The  widow  of  George  Ripley.  —  Jesse 
Albert  Locke,  Benjamin  Da  Costa,  and  Samuel  McPherson.  —  The  formation  of  the  A.  P.  A. 
—  The  new  method  of  persecution.  —  The  society  for  protecting  American  institutions.  — 
Its  work  at  constitutional  conventions.  —  It  makes  a  struggle  in  New  York,  1894.  Badly 
beateu  by  its  enemies.  —  Its  mean  spirit  thoroughly  exposed . 631 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 
The  Case  of  Dr.  Edward  McGlynn 

The  character  of  Dr.  McGlynn.  —  Complaints  against  him  in  Rome.  —  His  first  suspension  for 
disobedience.  —  A  second  for  similar  reasons.  —  A  third  followed  by  removal  from  his  parish. 

—  The  extraordinary  tumult  which  succeeds.  —  Dr.  McGlynn  ordered  to  appear  in  Rome. 
—  He  declines  to  go,  while  suspended  and  disgraced.  —  Excommunication  follows.  —  The 
advent  of  Archbishop  Satolli.  —  His  interest  in  the  case  of  Dr.  McGlynn.  —  Rev.  C.  G. 
O’Keefe  brings  it  before  him.  —  As  Delegate  to  America  Archbishop  Satolli  empowered 
to  settle  the  affair.  —  He  invites  a  visit  from  Dr.  McGlynn.  —  The  final  arrangements 
made  by  Dr.  Burtsell.  —  Statement  of  the  McGlynn  theories  approved  by  the  University 
professors.  — Excommunication  removed.  —  Pastor  at  Newburgh.  —  His  death  in  1900  .  542 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
The  Death  of  Archbishop  Corrigan 

The  last  years.  —  The  remarkable  celebration  of  his  episcopal  jubilee.  —  Testimonies  from  public 
men.  —  The  debt  cleared  from  the  Seminary.  —  How  the  world  regarded  him.  —  The  vivid 
description  of  the  funeral  ceremony  by  Julian  Hawthorne . 655 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 
Bishop  McQuaid’s  Appreciation 

Sermon  of  Bishop  McQuaid  at  the  Month’s  Mind.  —  He  reviews  the  history  of  the  diocese.  —  His 
statements  on  vital  questions  and  important  personages.  —  His  characterization  of  Archbishop 
Corrigan.  — Tribute  to  his  ability  and  piety.  —  A  summing  up  of  this  history . 570 


X 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XL 
Archbishop  Farley 

Comparison  of  the  old  and  the  new  conditions.  —  The  faith  of  Catholics  and  their  success.  —  The 
non-Catholic  world  eaten  up  by  heresies.  —  The  position  of  the  Church  before  the  American 
people.  —  The  nomination  of  bishops.  —  The  appointment  of  Bishop  John  M.  Farley  to  New 
York.  —  His  previous  career.  —  Influential  and  tactful.  —  Acts  as  intermediary  in  difficult 
affairs.  —  The  character  of  the  clergy.  —  They  are  too  parochial.  —  Character  of  the  Arch¬ 
bishop’s  advisers  and  officials.  —  Monsignor  Mooney,  Monsignor  Lavelle,  and  Monsignor 
Edwards,  vicars-general.  —  The  Bishop  Auxiliary.  —  Members  of  the  Council,  Fathers  Coltoni 
Corley,  McGean,  and  Flood.  —  The  prelates  of  the  diocese,  Monsignori  McSweeney,  McGean, 
Kearney,  McCready,  O’Keefe,  McKenna,  and  Burtsell.  —  Chancellor  Hayes,  Dr.  Denis  McMa¬ 
hon,  Dr.  Ferranti,  and  Rev.  John  J.  Keane . 586 


CHAPTER  XLI 

The  Epilogue 

History  at  close  view.  —  The  career  of  the  Archbishop  for  three  years.  —  Meeting  of  the  Italian 
clergy  against  the  proselytizers.  —  The  Countess  Leary.  —  Discipline  of  the  Seminary.  — 
Opening  of  the  Cathedral  College.  —  The  increase  of  the  church  schools.  —  Support  of  the 
Washington  University.  —  The  monthly  recollection  for  the  clergy.  —  The  honors  of  the  purple. 
—  The  reform  in  church  music  carried  out.  —  A  commission  of  music  formed.  —  Work  for 
the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith.  —  The  Federation  of  Catholic  societies.  —  Some 
chance  for  a  Catholic  press.  —  The  Catholic  encyclopedia.  —  Public  utterances  on  great  ques¬ 
tions.  —  The  last  word  for  Archbishop  Carroll . 603 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Most  Reverend  John  M.  Farley . Frontispiece 

1902. 

Right  Rev.  Thomas  Preston . Facing  page  346 

St.  Patrick’s  Cathedral . Facing  page  392 

Most  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan . Facing  page  414 

1880-1902. 

Right  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Mooney . Facing  page  460 

Right  Rev.  John  Edwards . Facing  page  483 

Right  Rev.  Michael  J.  Lavelle . Facing  page  611 

St.  Joseph’s  Seminary,  Dunwoodie . Facing  page  642 

Right  Rev.  Thomas  Cusack  . Facing  page  686 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS 

[N  the  time  of  Archbishop  Hughes 
the  question  of  education  was 
chiefly  a  protest  against  proselytizing. 
The  zealous  Protestants  of  the  time 
made  use  of  the  common  school  to 
turn  Catholic  children  from  their 
faith.  The  universal  custom  of  that 
day  placed  the  education  of  the  child 
in  the  hands  of  the  Church,  and 
every  sect  that  could  afford  it  had  a 
free  school.  A  society  of  enterprising 
citizens  undertook  to  educate  the 
children  of  no  particular  faith  in  what 
was  then  called  the  Public  School. 
When  this  society  was  discovered  in  the  work  of  proselytizing,  Dr. 
Hughes  helped  to  drive  it  out  of  existence.  Our  public  school 
system  took  its  place,  and  gradually  developed  into  its  present 
form.  The  situation  for  Catholics  wTas  not  found  bettered  by  the 
change,  although  sectarian  teaching  had  been  banished  in  great 
part;  some  of  the  text-books  had  been  expurgated  in  behalf  of 
Catholics,  and  a  kindlier  spirit  was  shown  towards  them.  For 
the  State  to  concern  itself  with  popular  education,  except  in  the 
way  of  contributing  financial  aid  to  the  parish  schools,  was  a 
novelty.  Thus  for  many  years  St.  Peter’s  parish  school  received 
great  help  from  the  public  treasury. 

(329) 


330  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


When  the  possibilities  of  a  State  system  of  education  began  to 
be  perceived,  enthusiasm  grew  in  one  section  of  the  community 
and  opposition  in  the  other.  The  religious  people  asked  how 
the  State  would  carry  on  the  religious  training  of  the  children, 
since  in  America  the  State  was  supposed  to  keep  out  of  such  mat¬ 
ters.  They  were  told  that  the  public  school  would  not  teach 
religion,  which  would  be  left  entirely  to  the  parents  at  home  and 
the  clergy  in  the  catechism  class.  A  system  of  education  without 
religion  did  not  appeal  to  the  people  of  that  period.  A  discussion 
arose  as  to  the  nature  of  such  a  system.  Was  it  good,  bad,  or 
merely  indifferent  ?  The  answer  of  Archbishop  Hughes  decided 
against  the  system,  and  the  work  of  building  the  church  school 
was  seriously  undertaken,  in  spite  of  the  financial  difficulties.  As 
we  have  seen  in  a  former  chapter,  the  energetic  Hughes  had 
succeeded  in  building  thirty-four  schools  and  was  giving  a  reli¬ 
gious  training  to  sixteen  thousand  children  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 

Ten  years  later  the  whole  question  of  education  had  taken  on 
a  new  phase.  The  Revolution  in  Europe,  having  intrenched 
itself  strongly  in  Rome  and  in  Paris,  imprisoned  the  Pope  and 
dethroned  the  Bonapartes,  made  most  determined  war  on  the 
Catholic  Church.  In  order  to  detach  from  the  faith  the  next 
generation,  it  began  to  seize  by  degrees  the  education  of  the  chil¬ 
dren,  to  introduce  the  State  system,  and  to  drive  out  the  religious 
teachers  from  the  common  schools.  Its  leaders,  seeing  the  im¬ 
portance  of  this  move,  took  up  at  once  the  cause  of  popular  educa¬ 
tion  everywhere.  The  State  was  to  be  the  sole  educator  of  the 
future  citizen,  and  the  children  were  to  be  trained  without  religion; 
in  France  and  Italy  because  the  State  was  hostile  to  religion  as  a 
superstition;  and  in  the  United  States  because  the  people  were  of 
all  creeds  and  of  none,  making  the  teaching  of  religion  practically 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  331 


impossible.  It  did  not  take  very  long  to  discover  that  the  trend 
of  the  times  was  away  from  all  religion,  and  that  the  utter  ab¬ 
sence  of  religion  from  the  training  of  the  children,  even  in  the 
happy  conditions  prevailing  in  the  United  States,  increased  the 
ranks  of  indifferentism  and  diminished  the  numbers  of  the  faithful. 
The  agnostics  boasted  that  the  common  school  would  in  time 
destroy  all  superstition,  and  pointed  with  pride  to  the  thinning 
ranks  of  Catholicity  in  the  Latin  countries,  and  of  Protestantism 
in  the  United  States. 

Then  arose  a  warm  discussion  on  all  sides,  but  particularly 
heated  in  the  Catholic  ranks,  upon  whom  devolved  the  labor  of 
organizing  the  attack  on  agnosticism.  The  extremists  were  as 
usual  more  than  bitter.  One  party  wished  to  make  the  church 
school  a  dogma  of  the  faith;  the  other  declared  it  superfluous  as 
a  means  and  abominable  as  a  fact.  The  moderate  and  practical 
people,  who  discuss  without  passion  and  work  without  noise,  de¬ 
cided  that  the  church  school  had  become  a  necessity  of  the  times, 
and  that  the  principle  of  religion  in  education  could  never  be 
abandoned  under  any  conditions.  They  began  to  build  schools 
as  a  barrier  against  the  rising  wave  of  indifferentism.  Even  the 
blind  could  see,  as  far  back  as  1865,  that  the  Protestant  body  was 
losing  its  children  by  the  hundred  thousand  every  year.  The 
Catholic  leaders  were  determined  not  to  suffer  like  loss  out  of 
deference  to  the  plausible  teaching  of  the  state  educators,  who 
were  eager  to  prove  that  their  system  intended  and  caused  no 
harm  to  religious  faith.  The  Pope  took  up  the  matter,  the  lead¬ 
ing  Catholics  in  all  countries  spoke  and  wrote  on  the  question, 
and  finally  thought  and  feeling  crystallized  into  that  formula 
which  in  our  day  is  accepted  as  a  commonplace:  there  must  be  no 
divorce  of  religion  from  education  in  the  training  of  the  children. 
It  was  a  principle  long  known  and  accepted  in  the  Church,  but 


332  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


until  the  atheists  and  other  opponents  of  Christianity  began  to 
use  state  education  as  a  weapon  against  religion,  it  had  not  re¬ 
ceived  the  emphasis  given  to  it  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

As  far  as  the  Catholic  body  in  the  United  States  was  concerned, 
the  question  was  settled  by  the  Third  Plenary  Council  of  Balti¬ 
more  held  in  1884.  The  Provincial  Council  of  New  York  in  1883 
declared  in  its  pastoral  letter  that  it  had  been  clearly  decided  by 
the  Popes  “that  no  Catholic,  of  whatever  rank  or  condition  he 
may  be,  can  approve  of  any  system  of  public  instruction  from 
which  religion  is  totally  excluded.”  Cardinal  McCloskey  had  for 
many  years  exerted  himself  to  build  up  the  Church-school  system 
in  line  with  this  declaration.  The  Baltimore  council  ordered  that 
every  parish  with  a  resident  pastor  should  within  two  years  of 
the  publication  of  the  decree  build  a  parish  school  unless  dis¬ 
pensed  by  his  bishop  for  good  reason.  Discussion  of  the  merits 
of  the  question  ceased  with  these  positive  utterances;  there  only 
remained  the  question  of  ways  and  means,  which  was  really  seri¬ 
ous.  New  York  did  fairly  well  with  it  in  Dr.  McCloskey’s  admin¬ 
istration.  He  increased  the  number  of  church  schools  from 
thirty-four  to  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  of  which  sixty  were  for 
girls  and  fifty-five  for  boys.  They  taught  33,000  children,  an 
increase  of  17,000  over  the  previous  period,  which  was  not  remark¬ 
able,  since  the  population  had  increased  six  times,  and  the  pros¬ 
perity  of  the  Catholic  body  about  ten  times,  as  nearly  as  may  be 
judged.  But  when  one  remembers  that  all  things  had  to  be  done 
in  this  period  for  an  immense  increase  of  population,  churches 
and  charities  erected,  priests  educated,  and  an  entirely  new  organ¬ 
ization  provided,  the  work  done  was  highly  creditable. 

The  church  schools  did  fine  service  in  various  ways,  although 
subjected  to  much  criticism  and  unjust  comparison  with  the 
public  schools.  As  a  rule  they  were  immensely  popular  with  the 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  333 


people,  because  they  were  church  schools;  and  highly  objection¬ 
able  to  the  critical,  because  they  could  not  compete  in  elegance 
and  progress  with  the  State  system.  They  were  uncomfortably 
crowded  in  some  places,  and  in  others  had  a  rude  multitude  to 
train  and  discipline.  The  teachers  were  for  the  most  part  mem¬ 
bers  of  religious  communities,  brothers  and  sisters,  with  all  the 
deficiencies  peculiar  to  that  time.  It  was  a  time  of  stress,  of 
hasty  preparation,  of  ancient  methods,  of  poverty  and  struggle 
for  mere  existence;  yet  an  improvement  on  the  preceding  period, 
when  not  a  few  schools  were  in  the  basements  of  half-finished 
churches.  The  critics  did  not  take  account  of  anything  but  the 
fact  that  the  church  schools  and  teachers  were  inferior  to  their  state 
competitors  in  quality  and  in  method.  This  could  reasonably 
be  doubted.  The  church  teachers  remained  faithful  to  the  rudi¬ 
ments  of  study,  and  taught  reading,  writing,  spelling,  arithmetic, 
grammar,  geography,  and  history  with  the  old-time  thoroughness; 
so  that  their  graduates  could  take  useful  positions  where  these 
things  were  appreciated.  They  brought  up  the  children  close  to 
the  church,  made  it  the  centre  of  their  daily  life,  protected  their 
innocence  with  the  Sacraments,  and  rooted  the  faith  in  them 
beyond  the  power  of  the  world  to  uproot  in  after  days.  That 
simple  education  was  free  from  the  disastrous  fads  of  later  times, 
and  its  excellence  was  like  the  well-made  furniture  of  a  century 
back,  simple  but  solid,  outlasting  the  glue-pot  abominations  of  a 
showier  period. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  when  the  children  of  these  church  schools 
came  into  competition  with  those  of  the  public  schools  they  did 
not  show  any  inferiority;  and  oftener  won  than  lost  to  their  rivals. 
Some  of  the  schools  were  remarkable  by  their  attendance  and 
their  success;  such  as  old  St.  Mary’s  with  its  1,800  boys  and  girls, 
the  crowded  schools  of  St.  Peter’s  and  St.  Patrick’s  and  the  Ger- 


334  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


man  school  of  the  Redemptorists’.  Although  they  were  accused 
of  indifference  to  progress,  this  was  untrue,  as  both  the  clergy 
and  the  teaching  communities,  harassed  though  they  were  by  the 
lack  of  funds,  steadily  discussed  ways  and  means  for  betterment, 
the  proof  of  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  conditions  of  our  own 
time.  The  question  of  the  Church’s  ability  to  educate  all  the 
children  led  to  practical  schemes  to  secure  the  aid  of  the  State. 
Dr.  Patrick  McSweeney  of  Poughkeepsie  made  an  arrangement 
with  the  city  authorities  by  which  he  secured  financial  support 
from  the  city  for  his  school.  It  was  known  as  the  Poughkeepsie 
Plan,  and  met  with  equal  praise  and  blame,  according  to  the 
views  of  the  critic.  The  extremists  denounced  it  as  a  surre  der 
of  the  principle  of  religion  in  education;  the  practical  praised  it 
as  a  means  to  enable  the  Church  to  gather  all  its  children  under 
its  own  wing  at  a  bearable  expense  to  the  people.  It  was  a  com¬ 
promise,  of  course;  in  return  for  city  aid  Dr.  McSweeney  leased 
his  school  to  the  corporation,  banished  all  religious  pictures, 
emblems,  and  exercises  during  school  hours,  and  accepted  text¬ 
books,  examination,  inspection,  supervision,  from  the  education 
department.  It  was  denounced  heartily  by  Editor  McMaster, 
who  could  never  understand  the  meaning  or  the  necessity  of  com¬ 
promise;  but  it  lived  on  for  many  years,  until  it  was  discovered 
to  be  too  religious  to  suit  the  State  authorities,  when  it  was  dis¬ 
continued.  Such  is  the  fate  of  compromise,  to  be  denounced  and 
destroyed  by  the  extremists  of  all  parties. 

At  Rondout,  farther  up  the  Hudson,  another  experiment 
was  tried  which  yielded  good  results  later  on.  Rev.  Michael  C. 
O’Farrell  introduced  the  Franciscan  Brothers  into  the  parish,  and 
undertook  the  formation  of  a  church  school  on  the  latest  and 
best  modern  plan.  An  academy  was  founded  for  the  higher 
branches  in  1875,  and  the  course  of  studies  so  graded  as  to  fit  the 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  335 


boys  for  college  and  the  girls  for  the  State  examination  for  teach¬ 
ers.  This  practical  idea  made  the  schools  so  popular  that  seven 
hundred  children  attended;  the  girls  were  sent  regularly  each 
year  to  the  teachers’  examinations  in  the  town  of  Saugerties,  and 
passed  them  with  success;  while  numbers  of  the  boys  thus  encour¬ 
aged  entered  the  learned  professions.  This  idea  was  afterwards 
taken  up  generally,  and  gave  the  church  schools  an  immediate 
business  value. 

Over  sixteen  hundred  boys  and  girls  attended  St.  Gabriel’s 
schools;  thirteen  hundred  crowded  St.  James’  schools;  nearly 
fourteen  hundred  the  Cathedral  schools;  an  average  of  one  thou¬ 
sand  frequented  the  schools  of  St.  Michael’s,  St.  Francis  Xavier’s, 
St.  Bridget’s,  St.  Alphonsus’,  and  St.  Teresa’s;  but  the  schools  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception  parish  on  East  Fourteenth  Street 
carried  off  the  palm  with  an  attendance  of  over  two  thousand. 
Six  hundred  pupils  was  considered  a  small  school.  In  the  country 
Yonkers  had  a  school  of  six  hundred  in  one  parish,  and  in  another 
a  school  of  nearly  eight  hundred;  Poughkeepsie  in  its  three  schools 
taught  a  thousand  children;  and  Newburg  had  nearly  six  hundred. 
In  twenty  other  parishes  of  the  country  districts  the  schools  had 
an  attendance  on  the  average  of  one  hundred.  At  that  date  the 
church  school  with  all  its  drawbacks  was  undoubtedly  popular. 

Higher  education  made  more  progress  during  this  period  than 
the  primary  department,  and  found  itself  in  fair  condition  by  the 
year  1885.  The  young  clerics  were  trained  for  the  most  part  in 
the  provincial  seminary  situated  at  Troy;  although  a  number  were 
also  sent  to  Rome,  and  permitted  to  study  in  other  American 
seminaries.  The  result  of  steady  training  under  one  faculty  and 
one  system  showed  promptly  and  effectively  in  the  sacerdotal 
body  within  a  decade  after  the  seminary  was  opened.  The  Bel¬ 
gian  priests  in  charge  of  the  institution  were  men  of  learning  and 


336  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


character;  Dr.  Van  den  Hende  as  first  rector,  Rev.  Henry  Gabriels 
as  second  rector  and  professor  of  history,  Rev.  Peter  A.  Puissant 
as  professor  of  moral  theology,  Rev.  Charles  Roelants  as  professor 
of  Sacred  Scripture,  Rev.  Augustine  Fivez  as  professor  of  dog¬ 
matic  theology,  and  Rev.  Remy  Lafort  as  professor  of  canon  law, 
left  their  impress  as  teachers  and  character-makers  on  the  grand 
majority  of  the  clergy  of  New  York  and  New  England.  The 
course  was  too  short  for  the  best  work,  but  a  year  of  philosophy 
and  three  of  theology  was  all  the  time  that  could  be  spared  at  that 
period,  when  the  native  clergy  were  in  demand.  Later  three 
additional  months  were  added  to  the  course.  The  students  sent 
abroad  were  permitted  to  study  a  longer  period,  and  encouraged 
to  win  degrees;  so  that  in  time  the  standard  of  clerical  learning 
rose  to  a  respectable  level,  and  scholarly  taste  became  more  wide¬ 
spread. 

The  colleges  and  academies  for  young  men  increased  to  ten, 
and  trained  an  annual  average  of  two  thousand  students.  The 
Jesuits  in  charge  of  the  boarding  college  at  Fordham  and  the  day 
college  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  on  West  Sixteenth  Street  raised  the 
two  institutions  to  a  high  standard  of  efficiency,  from  the  Catholic 
point  of  view;  for  the  American  college  method  was  undergoing 
a  radical  change  under  the  modern  scientific  and  commercial 
influences,  and  new  standards  and  methods  had  come  into  vogue. 
The  merits  of  the  old  and  the  new  system  were  warmly  discussed, 
and  the  great  Brownson  gave  his  opinion  in  this  fashion:  “Com¬ 
paratively  few  of  them  (Catholic  graduates)  take  their  stand,  as 
scholars  or  as  men,  on  a  level  with  the  graduates  of  non-Catholic 
colleges;  and  those  who  do  take  their  stand  do  it  by  throwing 
aside  nearly  all  they  learned  from  their  Alma  Mater,  and  adopting 
the  ideas  and  the  principles,  the  modes  of  thought  and  action, 
they  find  in  the  general  civilization  of  the  country  in  which  they 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  337 


live.  .  .  .  The  cause  of  the  failure  of  what  we  call  Catholic  edu¬ 
cation  is,  in  our  judgment,  the  fact  that  we  educate  not  for  the 
future,  but  for  the  past.”  This  sonorous  phrasing  of  the  grand 
old  man  meant  only  that  he  overlooked  the  two  main  facts  in  the 
question  of  Catholic  college  education:  that  its  educators  had  been 
at  work  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  were  without 
the  proper  means.  There  had  been  no  failure,  but  rather  the 
most  astonishing  success;  inasmuch  as  four  colleges  had  been 
brought  into  existence,  were  kept  going,  and  turned  out  a  very 
fair  intellectual  product. 

Besides  the  two  Jesuit  institutions,  the  Christian  Brothers  con¬ 
ducted  a  good  college,  famous  as  Manhattan  College,  and  three 
fruitful  academies,  which  gave  to  the  city  a  splendid  group  of 
business  and  professional  men.  The  Fathers  of  Mercy  founded 
in  1869  the  college  of  St.  Louis  in  the  city  of  New  York.  At  the 
north  end  of  Westchester  County  the  Christian  Brothers  estab¬ 
lished  a  normal  school  for  their  novices,  to  prepare  them  for  the 
work  of  teaching  in  school,  academy,  and  college.  These  insti¬ 
tutions,  with  all  their  defects,  prepared  for  the  Church  a  fine 
body  of  priests,  their  proudest  service,  and  for  society  a  superb 
body  of  laymen,  whose  success  in  after  years  proved  that  the 
poor  college,  unendowed  and  neglected,  but  manned  by  self- 
sacrificing  teachers,  could  produce  fine  character  and  robust 
faith.  The  faculties  too  were  alive  to  the  changing  conditions  in 
education,  and  had  begun  to  take  thought  for  the  future  even 
while  the  critics  were  fault-finding.  The  demand  for  teachers, 
surveyors  and  engineers,  journalists,  and  business  specialists,  led 
them  to  arrange  the  courses  of  study  so  as  to  fit  their  graduates  for 
these  new  opportunities. 

In  the  education  of  the  girls,  the  Sisters  of  Charity  led  the  way 
with  their  institution  of  Mount  St.  Vincent  on  the  Hudson,  and 


338  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


twelve  other  academies  in  the  city  and  the  diocese.  There  were 
in  all  twenty-six  academies  for  girls,  with  an  attendance  of  three 
thousand.  The  Sisters  of  the  Sacred  Heart  developed  their 
famous  academy  at  Manhattanville  into  fine  proportions,  and  had 
two  other  academies  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  The  Ursulines 
managed  three  academies,  and  the  Dominican  Sisters,  the  Sisters 
of  Mercy,  the  Franciscans,  the  Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  each 
directed  one  or  two  institutions.  Their  methods  were  all  of  the 
old  school,  which  looked  rather  to  the  domestic  circle  than  to  the 
civic  arena  for  its  standard  of  qualifications  for  young  women. 
The  girls  were  trained  in  good  manners,  in  piety,  in  needle-work 
and  music,  in  the  common  English  branches,  in  literary  taste; 
but  not  for  business,  or  work  outside  the  home,  or  for  any  of  the 
numerous  departments  into  which  ambitious  women  were  then 
making  their  way.  Criticism  of  the  girls’  academies  was  there¬ 
fore  more  vehement  than  of  the  colleges,  and  led  in  time  to  im¬ 
portant  changes  in  the  curricula.  Nevertheless  these  institutions 
could  plead  poverty  and  youth  as  excuse  for  their  passing  defects. 
To  the  people  of  this  day  the  achievement  in  the  primary  and 
higher  departments  of  religious  education  looks  wonderful  in 
view  of  the  early  conditions.  For  the  first  time  in  long  centuries 
the  Church  was  doing  its  work  without  the  aid  of  the  State;  it 
was  building  all  things  from  the  alms  of  the  people;  and  the  critics 
forgot  this  wonderful  fact  in  their  zeal  for  perfection  in  every 
department.  The  women  trained  by  the  convents  served  their 
generation  nobly  as  the  mothers  of  the  present  generation,  and 
not  a  few  of  them  attained  social,  professional,  and  literary  emi¬ 
nence. 

While  the  work  of  education  was  thus  carried  on,  the  depart¬ 
ment  of  charity  was  not  neglected.  It  is  much  nearer  the  mind 
and  heart  of  the  Church  than  the  work  of  education,  because  the 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  339 


need  is  more  instant  and  imperious.  In  the  American  environ¬ 
ment  it  received  a  great  impetus,  as  in  the  case  of  the  church 
schools,  from  the  schemes  of  proselytizers,  who  took  advantage 
of  the  distress  of  Catholic  orphans,  old  people,  hospital  patients, 
and  outcasts,  and  either  made  them  bad  Protestants  or  deprived 
them  of  all  religion.  For  this  reason  the  work  of  caring  for 
orphans  first  engaged  attention.  They  were  cared  for  in  three 
large  and  very  successful  institutions,  two  in  charge  of  the  Sisters 
of  Charity,  and  the  third  in  care  of  the  Notre  Dame  congregation, 
which  looked  after  German  children.  In  behalf  of  the  French 
orphans,  the  sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  opened  an  asylum  in  1867, 
on  West  Twenty-sixth  Street.  Dr.  McGlynn  opened  another  the 
next  year  for  the  orphans  of  his  parish  and  the  neighborhood, 
and  called  it  St.  Stephen’s  Home,  and  the  Sisters  of  Charity  opened 
a  third  on  Staten  Island.  With  these  asylums  the  orphans  of  the 
diocese  could  be  cared  for  comfortably.  As  means  increased  the 
forms  of  charity  took  special  forms  suited  to  the  various  needs. 
The  most  notable  was  the  charity  founded  by  Levi  Silliman  Ives 
in  behalf  of  destitute  and  neglected  children.  The  former  Episco¬ 
pal  bishop  of  North  Carolina  was  a  man  of  true  apostolic  charac¬ 
ter,  and  he  undertook  the  task  of  caring  for  children  of  this  class 
with  a  thoroughness  that  led  to  immense  success. 

With  the  instinct  of  his  early  training  he  made  it  the  work  of 
the  laity,  placed  its  government  in  the  hands  of  lay  trustees,  and 
carefully  maintained  that  character  for  it  during  his  lifetime.  It 
grew  from  a  doubtful  beginning  into  the  institution  known  to  the 
world  as  the  Catholic  Protectory.  From  two  small  homes  in 
Yorkville,  it  passed  to  the  great  buildings  erected  at  Van  Ness  in 
Westchester  County,  where  under  the  direct  charge  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Brothers  an  industrial  home  was  established.  Between  three 
and  four  thousand  children  here  find  shelter,  education  in  useful 


340  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


trades,  and  religious  training;  they  are  looked  after  when  they 
enter  the  world,  and  are  encouraged  to  lives  of  piety  and  useful¬ 
ness.  The  institution  is  a  good-sized  town  in  population  and  in 
its  industries.  In  addition  to  the  work  of  keeping  it  going  in 
good  order,  its  executive  has  also  the  task  of  subduing,  reforming, 
and  sanctifying  that  group  of  children  whose  earlier  years  ran 
wild  in  the  slums  of  the  metropolis.  In  this  work  the  authorities 
had  the  support  of  the  law,  and  the  direct  sanction  of  the  State; 
for  not  only  was  the  board  of  managers  incorporated  under  the 
law,  but  children  were  committed  to  their  care  by  the  magistrates, 
and  the  city  paid  a  small  sum  annually  for  their  maintenance.  A 
similar  work  was  undertaken  in  1871,  by  the  Rev.  John  Drum- 
goole.  The  homeless  boys  of  the  city,  newsboys,  and  other  little 
workers  who  earned  a  living  but  had  no  relatives  or  friends  to 
care  for  them,  had  been  gathered  together  in  a  lodging-house  on 
Warren  Street,  in  charge  of  some  charitable  men;  but  the  work 
grew  rapidly  and  far  beyond  the  power  of  volunteers,  and  Rev. 
Father  Drumgoole  offered  his  services  to  make  it  permanent  and 
to  develop  it.  From  this  humble  beginning  grew  the  establish¬ 
ment  known  in  our  time  as  the  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin, 
or  more  popularly  the  work  for  the  protection  of  homeless  and 
destitute  children. 

At  first  it  had  not  the  aid  of  the  city,  and  depended  entirely 
on  a  little  publication  called  The  Homeless  Child,  for  its  revenue. 
Yet  the  method  of  publication  so  appealed  to  the  general  public 
that  Father  Drumgoole  was  enabled  to  buy  the  lots  in  Lafayette 
Place,  to  erect  a  good  building  there,  then  to  purchase  a  farm  on 
Staten  Island,  and  to  erect  more  buildings;  so  that  in  time  his 
institution  became  a  rival  in  form  if  not  in  excellence,  to  the  Pro¬ 
tectory.  From  providing  a  home  for  the  little  street-workers  it 
developed  into  a  many-sided  charity,  which  sheltered  the  helpless 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  341 


orphans,  the  deserted  babies  and  children,  and  provided  help  for 
a  small  army  of  the  poor.  In  the  year  1885,  it  sheltered  between 
the  city  house  and  the  country  farm,  a  thousand  children,  and  had 
become  one  of  the  great  institutions  of  the  diocese.  The  Sisters 
of  Charity,  under  the  lead  of  a  woman  blessed  with  remarkable 
energy  and  executive  capacity,  Sister  Irene,  undertook  in  1870, 
to  establish  an  asylum  for  foundlings.  The  need  for  the  work 
existed,  but  no  one  imagined  how  imperative  was  the  need.  At 
the  end  of  fifteen  years  the  new  institution,  healthfully  located  on 
East  Sixty-eighth  Street,  had  three  departments :  a  maternity 
hospital  with  thirty  patients,  a  refuge  for  needy  mothers  with 
three  hundred  inmates,  and  the  asylum  with  seventeen  hundred 
foundlings.  The  charity  became  very  popular  from  the  outset, 
and  the  problems  of  its  continuance  were  so  ably  solved  by  Sister 
Irene,  that  it  took  and  held  a  prominent  place  among  the  really 
great  works  of  charity. 

The  Sisters  of  Mercy  carried  on  their  usual  work  in  three 
institutions:  a  house  of  protection  for  poor  girls  and  children,  an 
industrial  home  for  girls,  and  another  for  boys,  located  in  the 
country.  Their  chief  aim  was  to  prepare  the  children  for  do¬ 
mestic  and  other  skilled  service,  and  in  addition  they  looked 
after  them  as  long  as  possible  after  they  had  begun  to  earn  their 
own  living.  The  Franciscan  Sisters  founded  a  home  for  destitute 
children  in  Peekskill  and  had  five  hundred  inmates;  the  Sisters 
of  Charity  in  addition  to  the  works  already  mentioned  had  a 
home  for  destitute  children  in  St.  James’  parish,  a  retreat  for  the 
insane  at  Harrison,  an  orphan  asylum  for  girls  in  Prince  Street, 
a  home  for  girls  in  Nanuet,  and  an  orphan  asylum  in  Port  Jervis; 
the  Dominican  Sisters  had  a  home  for  children  in  East  Sixty- 
third  Street  and  another  in  the  country  at  Blauveltville,  both 
sheltering  six  hundred  children;  the  Christian  Brothers  managed 


342  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


a  boys’  orphan  asylum  on  the  Boland  farm  at  Peekskill,  the  gift 
of  a  Mr.  Boland;  and  St.  Michael’s  parish  supported  a  home  in 
charge  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Presentation  on  Staten  Island  for  the 
poor  children  of  their  parish.  The  particular  devotion  of  the 
laity  to  charity  work  led  to  the  foundation  of  Mrs.  Mary  Starr’s 
home  on  Second  Avenue,  for  befriending  children  and  young 
girls,  and  to  Miss  Susan  Osborn’s  lodging-house  for  respectable 
working  girls  on  West  Fourteenth  Street.  In  1869  Mrs.  Starr 
began  her  labors,  carried  them  on  in  her  own  way,  and  looked 
after  two  hundred  inmates  of  all  conditions,  together  with  out¬ 
door  clients,  supported  by  voluntary  offerings,  and  keeping  aloof 
from  subjects  committed  to  protection  by  the  magistrates.  Her 
theory  inclined  to  the  perfect  liberty  of  the  client,  as  she  feared 
what  was  called  “  institutionizing  ”  the  poor  and  destitute.  Miss 
Osborn  began  her  work  in  1877,  helped  women  of  all  ages  to 
obtain  employment,  and  reported  as  the  result  of  eight  years’ 
work  nearly  four  thousand  cases  of  shelter  and  relief. 

A  mission  to  look  after  the  Catholic  immigrants  was  founded 
in  1884  and  placed  in  charge  of  Rev.  John  J.  Riordan,  who  made 
it  his  regular  duty  to  receive  the  Catholic  immigrants  on  landing 
from  the  steamers,  and  to  aid  them  in  every  way  to  reach  their 
destination,  and  to  avoid  the  traps  laid  for  the  innocent  and  the 
unwary.  The  association  of  the  Holy  Childhood  in  charge  of 
the  Jesuits  gathered  funds  for  the  foreign  missions;  the  clerical 
aid  association  was  formed  to  provide  support  for  its  members  in 
sickness  and  old  age;  and  a  commissariat  of  the  Holy  Land,  in 
charge  of  a  Franciscan,  Rev.  Charles  Vissani,  took  up  the  work  of 
collecting  funds  for  the  preservation  of  the  holy  places  in  Pales¬ 
tine.  Finally,  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd  developed  their 
fine  charity  of  rescuing  fallen  women,  and  supporting  wayward 
girls,  with  great  success.  They  were  able  to  build  a  large  and 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  343 


suitable  institution  on  the  East  River  at  Ninetieth  Street,  where 
they  protected  six  hundred  women  and  girls,  led  the  sinners  to 
penitent  lives,  trained  the  wayward  in  habits  of  virtue,  and  labored 
patiently  with  the  more  hardened  class.  Of  all  the  charities  this 
called  for  the  greatest  discretion  and  care,  and  involved  the  most 
painful  effort.  The  success  of  the  community  in  dealing  with 
the  problem  of  reform  won  the  general  approval. 

At  the  close  of  the  Cardinal’s  administration  the  charities  had 
increased  in  number  and  efficiency,  particularly  those  concerned 
with  children.  The  hospitals,  however,  were  not  behindhand, 
although  there  was  not  for  them  the  same  pressing  need.  St. 
Vincent’s,  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  continued  to  develop ; 
St.  Francis’  hospital  on  East  Fifth  Street  opened  in  charge  of  the 
Franciscan  Sisters  of  the  Poor,  and  made  a  reputation  for  its 
kindly  spirit  and  skill;  the  same  community  established  St.  Joseph’s 
hospital  for  consumptives  on  East  One  Hundred  Ninth  Street,  a 
most  needful  charity;  and  a  hospital  was  opened  on  West  Thirty- 
second  Street  by  the  Franciscan  Sisters  of  the  Third  Order.  A 
new  community  of  sisters  came  from  France  and  settled  in  the 
city,  the  sisters  of  the  Bon  Secours,  whose  chief  duty  is  the  nursing 
of  the  sick  in  their  homes.  Another  community,  familiarly  known 
as  the  Nardines,  opened  an  institution  in  Fordham  for  the  care  and 
improved  instruction  of  deaf-mutes.  On  West  Fifteenth  Street, 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  opened  a  home  for  the  aged,  and  the  Little 
Sisters  of  the  Poor  founded  two  institutions  of  the  same  kind  on 
East  Seventieth  and  on  West  Thirty-eighth  Streets.  The  number 
and  variety  of  these  various  charities  were  due  in  part  to  the  aid 
provided  by  the  city  to  certain  forms  of  charity,  and  to  the  gen¬ 
erous  and  proper  ruling  of  the  law  which  sent  Catholic  orphans 
and  destitute  children  to  Catholic  institutions. 

This  law  was  passed  by  the  New  York  legislature  in  1875, 


344  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


and  was  a  result  of  the  greater  influence  now  exercised  in  public 
affairs  by  members  of  the  Catholic  body,  not  merely  in  the  political 
circle,  but  also  in  the  social  and  the  commercial  world.  A  large 
proportion  of  the  journalists  of  the  city  were  of  the  Catholic  faith; 
not  a  few  of  the  political  leaders  of  both  parties  were  Catholic; 
taking  advantage  of  the  kindlier  feelings  prevailing  since  the  close 
of  the  war,  Catholics  secured  the  enactment  of  a  law  which  put  an 
end  in  one  direction  to  the  outrages  of  the  proselytizers  in  public 
institutions.  Children  committed  to  State  institutions  were  ordered 
sent,  where  possible,  to  such  asylums  as  professed  their  faith  or 
the  faith  of  their  parents;  and  the  city  paid  a  fixed  annual  sum  for 
their  support,  about  one  hundred  dollars  for  each  child. 

The  crown  of  this  edifice  of  charity  was  the  society  of  St. 

Vincent  de  Paul,  the  organization  which  Frederic  Ozanam  had 

originated  and  perfected  in  France  in  1845,  and  which  gave  the 

charity  of  the  layman  so  noble  an  opportunity.  There  were 

fiftv  Conferences  in  the  diocese  with  one  thousand  members. 
* 

The  constitution  of  the  society  provides  it  with  executive  councils, 
and  keeps  it  in  constant  communication  with  the  superior  officers 
in  France.  The  members  act  somewhat  as  a  flying  squadron  in 
connection  with  a  regular  army;  ready  at  a  moment’s  notice  for 
any  charitable  enterprise,  and  always  on  the  wing.  Their  history 
in  New  York  during  this  period  forms  a  most  instructive  feature 
of  charitable  organization.  Besides  looking  after  the  distressed 
in  the  parishes,  and  fighting  the  various  miseries  of  the  long  and 
savage  winters,  the  members  kept  track  of  the  proselytizing  zealots 
around  the  city,  rescued  the  Catholic  children  whenever  they 
could  from  their  clutches,  frequented  the  courts  in  behalf  of  juve¬ 
nile  delinquents,  looked  after  the  street  arabs,  found  work  for 
people  without  employment,  and  proved  themselves  excellent  aids 
and  advisers  to  other  forms  of  charity.  If  ever  the  system  of 


THE  EDUCATION  AND  CHARITY  SYSTEMS  345 


relief  for  the  poor  in  the  large  cities,  where  poverty  and  distress 
seem  to  be  ineradicable,  becomes  really  adequate,  it  will  be  through 
such  methods  as  those  used  by  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  confer¬ 
ences;  the  unfortunate  and  their  benefactors  are  brought  into 
sympathetic  contact,  and  relief  becomes  human,  cheering,  and 
prompt.  From  this  passing  description  it  can  be  seen  how  well 
the  diocese  was  situated  to  carry  on  its  work  of  education  and 
charity.  Besides  building  up  its  institutions,  it  gave  substantial 
aid  to  the  charities  elsewhere,  to  the  propagation  of  the  faith,  the 
home  missions,  and  to  the  visiting  solicitors  from  other  countries, 
particularly  from  Ireland,  which  was  enabled  during  the  period 
to  build  churches,  cathedrals,  and  institutions  from  the  moneys 
collected  in  the  dioceses  of  the  State.  The  charity  of  the  people 
never  failed,  and  charity  never  beggars,  but  rather  enriches  a 
community. 


St.  Bernard’s 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 

HIGHER  education  and  the  ad¬ 
ministration  of  the  works  of 
charity  depended  in  great  part  on 
the  religious  communities,  among 
whom  there  appeared  a  remarkable 
development  during  this  period,  in 
numbers,  variety,  and  efficiency.  The 
community  priests  almost  doubled, 

the  male  lav  communities  increased 
«/ 

in  membership  fourfold,  and  the 
membership  of  female  communities 
passed  from  hundreds  into  thou¬ 
sands.  The  demand  for  their  ser¬ 
vices  became  great,  not  only  because  the  population  had  in¬ 
creased,  but  still  more  because  the  church  school  and  the  various 
works  of  charity  had  become  necessities,  and  the  tastes  of  the 
people  had  turned  to  specialties  in  church  work.  These  commu¬ 
nities  of  men  and  women  living  the  common  life,  in  poverty,  in 
the  practice  of  ascetic  principles,  had  once  been  considered  foreign 
to  American  taste  and  American  ideas  of  spirituality.  It  was 
true  that  a  majority  of  the  members  were  of  European  birth, 
and  with  few  exceptions  the  communities  came  direct  from  Euro¬ 
pean  motherhouses  upon  which  they  still  depended.  Nevertheless 
the  American  children  took  interest  in  them,  became  members 
with  enthusiasm,  and  chose  by  preference  the  more  difficult  rule; 
as  if  in  making  the  sacrifice  of  will,  career,  and  comfort,  they 

(346) 


Rev.  Augustine  Hewit 


:vto  u ' 


' . « .  -V 


Right  Reverend  Thomas  Preston 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


347 


could  not  make  it  too  complete  and  sweeping.  Even  the  Ameri¬ 
can  converts,  brought  up  in  particular  dislike  of  convent  life,  of 
monks  and  nuns,  found  it  specially  attractive.  By  the  year 
1885  there  were  in  the  religious  communities  120  priests,  240 
brothers,  and  over  2,000  sisters;  perhaps  in  all  2,500  persons. 

Strangely  enough,  too,  the  communities  of  American  stock 
and  method  took  the  lead  in  enterprise,  originality,  and  some¬ 
times  in  numbers.  The  Jesuits,  for  example,  equalled  the  mem¬ 
bership  of  all  the  other  priest  communities,  and  attracted  the 
young  Americans  in  particular;  the  Paulists  showed  the  American 
keenness  for  new  and  more  efficient  methods;  the  Sisters  of  Char¬ 
ity  flourished  in  a  growth  almost  miraculous;  the  Christian  Broth¬ 
ers  enjoyed  a  fine  development.  These  were  practically  American 
communities,  the  Jesuits  and  the  Christian  Brothers  in  their 
methods  and  membership,  the  Paulists  and  the  Sisters  of  Charity 
in  their  actual  origin.  Without  the  communities  the  expansion 
of  education  and  charity  would  have  been  slow  and  difficult  at 
that  time,  and  many  works  of  spirituality  also,  such  as  the  mis¬ 
sions  and  retreats  for  all  classes,  and  the  testing  of  new  methods 
in  every  department  of  religious  activity.  A  lay  management  of 
institutions  and  schools,  which  even  the  State  can  with  difficulty 
provide,  would  have  swamped  the  finances  of  the  Church.  The 
conservative  tastes  of  the  communities  found  a  gentle  and  proper 
irritant  in  the  lavish  competition  of  the  State  schools  and  chari¬ 
ties,  with  which  the  critics  brought  them  into  strict  comparison; 
and  the  people  made  demands  also,  in  the  true  commercial  spirit 
of  that  day,  for  a  large  result  in  return  for  their  voluntary  contri¬ 
butions.  The  suspicious  among  the  State  officers,  who  begrudged 
the  annual  stipend  of  the  State  to  the  charities  for  the  education 
or  the  food  of  the  destitute,  invaded  the  community  routine,  and 
by  examination  of  the  work  kept  the  workers  forever  on  the  alert. 


348  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


In  consequence  progress  was  kept  up  and  the  spirit  of  progress 
enlivened  all  departments. 

The  Jesuits  carried  on  their  work  with  an  excellence  worthy 
of  their  reputation.  Their  location  was  admirable,  in  the  board¬ 
ing  college  of  St.  John’s  at  Fordham,  the  day  college  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier’s  in  the  city,  the  parishes  of  St.  Joseph  and  St. 
Lawrence  in  Yorkville,  and  the  parish  of  St.  Francis  Xavier. 
The  variety  of  their  work  no  less  than  the  quality  of  their  rule 
attracted  to  them  new  members,  who  might  teach  in  the  colleges, 
work  in  the  parishes,  labor  in  the  mission  bands,  serve  as  chap¬ 
lains  to  prisons  and  convents  and  hospitals,  or  take  the  direction 
of  pious  souls.  It  was  not  unusual  for  a  member  of  the  society 
to  pass  through  all  these  occupations.  They  cultivated  specialists 
with  care,  in  every  department,  and  thus  were  able  to  send  out 
good  preachers  to  people  and  to  the  clergy,  capable  directors 
and  chaplains,  good  teachers,  and  tactful  organizers.  Their  in¬ 
fluence  grew  in  many  directions,  through  the  parishes,  the  stu¬ 
dents  and  the  graduates  of  the  colleges,  their  able  missionaries, 
and  the  friends  of  their  various  works.  The  personality  of  their 
members  in  general  was  of  that  stamp  which  disarmed  criticism 
at  the  start.  Therefore  of  that  bitter  dislike  which  raged  against 
the  society  in  Europe,  there  was  not  a  trace  in  New  York,  even 
when  the  Catholic  religion,  or  its  ministers,  or  its  methods,  were 
harshly  attacked.  Many  of  the  diocesan  clergy  were  trained  by 
them,  and  kept  up  a  steady  relationship,  social  and  spiritual. 
Their  situation  seemed  to  approach  the  ideal,  and  their  influence 
was  without  any  defect  to  mar  its  completeness.  Some  of  their 
superiors  attained  national  fame,  and  others  a  wide  influence  in 
the  metropolis.  Rev.  Augustine  Thebaud  was  the  first  to  write 
up  the  share  of  the  Irish  in  the  building  of  American  civilization; 
Rev.  Robert  Fulton  delighted  a  whole  generation  with  the  pun- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


349 


gency  of  his  wit  and  the  sanity  of  his  discourses ;  Rev.  Louis  Jouin, 
as  professor  of  philosophy  at  Fordham  for  many  years,  had  a 
great  influence  with  college  men;  and  the  three  Frenchmen,  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  old  regime,  Fathers  Thiry,  Daubresse,  and  Duran- 
quet,  were  well-known  spiritual  directors  for  long  years.  The 
Jesuits  were  among  the  first  to  introduce  the  American  priests 
into  the  superior  offices  in  their  community,  and  this  significant 
fact  accounts  in  part  for  their  speedy  success.  Other  societies 
lagged  behind  through  a  too  intense  devotion  to  European  ideas, 
methods,  and  officials. 

The  Paulist  society  made  quiet  progress  in  its  own  way,  and 
introduced  the  spirit  of  American  enterprise  into  the  general 
method.  While  it  was  popular  in  one  direction,  as  composed 
mostly  of  converts,  in  another  it  encountered  a  gentle  scorn  and 
mild  suspicion,  on  the  ground  that  nothing  good  could  come  out 
of  the  American  Nazareth.  However,  the  members  opposed  to 
this  feeling  an  originality  which  kept  observers  thinking,  and 
which  discovered  methods  of  work  until  then  overlooked.  Father 
Hecker  led  his  brethren  in  the  struggle  for  his  one  glorious  aim: 
the  conversion  of  the  American  people  to  the  faith.  He  remained 
throughout  this  period  the  dominant  personality  in  the  new  com¬ 
munity,  supported  powerfully  by  the  keen  and  literary-minded 
Father  Augustine  He  wit,  and  the  rugged  Father  George  Deshon, 
who  was  always  known  to  local  fame  as  a  West  Point  classmate 
of  General  Grant.  No  other  aim  was  permitted  to  obscure  the 
community  effort  for  the  conversion  of  the  country.  This  perti¬ 
nacity  led  the  Paulists  into  new  methods  of  work,  and  helped  to 
develop  their  native  ingenuity.  They  made  the  press  a  part  of 
their  missionary  outfit,  by  establishing  The  Catholic  World  maga¬ 
zine,  and  a  society  for  printing  Catholic  publications.  To  these 
two  enterprises  the  Catholic  body  is  deeply  indebted,  not  only  for 


350  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


the  books  and  articles  printed  in  defence  and  explanation  of  the 
faith,  but  also  for  their  development  of  the  Catholic  writer,  who 
received  little  encouragement  from  the  Catholic  journals,  or  from 
any  other  source.  Unless  a  writer  could  print  his  own  paper  or 
review,  like  McMaster  and  Brownson,  he  had  small  opportunity 
to  appear  before  the  public.  Father  Alfred  Young  introduced 
the  Gregorian  chant  into  the  church  services  in  1870,  and  with 
the  aid  of  a  fine  musician  of  the  time,  Edmund  Hurley,  he  brought 
into  existence  a  noble  male  choir,  congregational  singing,  and  a 
volume  of  beautiful  hymns,  noble  words  to  noble  music,  for  the 
use  of  the  people.  The  ritual  of  the  Church  was  carried  out 
with  care  and  solemnity  in  the  Paulist  sanctuary,  and  with  such 
beauty  as  to  draw  general  attention.  As  they  used  the  press  for 
the  diffusion  of  Catholic  truth,  so  they  employed  the  parish  li¬ 
brary  among  the  people  and  the  children.  They  were  the  first 
to  put  the  school  of  the  catechism  on  the  basis  of  the  regular 
school,  by  grading  the  course  from  childhood  to  manhood,  secur¬ 
ing  proper  methods,  text-books,  and  teachers,  winning  the  regular 
attendance  of  the  children,  and  graduating  them  in  due  form 
with  the  proper  honors.  In  the  winter  of  1885  they  had  the  new 
Church  of  St.  Paul’s  dedicated,  a  noble  structure  and  a  splendid 
ceremony,  both  emphasizing  the  new  force  that  had  arisen  to  aid 
religion  and  to  honor  the  community  life.  Despite  the  criticism 
which  the  young  society  received,  the  spirit  of  their  work  and  the 
success  of  their  methods  influenced  all  the  other  communities,  and 
had  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  parish  work  everywhere.  Their 
methods  were  copied,  which  was  a  natural  tribute  to  American 
ingenuity. 

The  Redemptorist  community  showed  progress  on  its  own 
lines.  The  society  in  general  had  grown  in  numbers  and  popu¬ 
larity  throughout  the  country;  in  New  York  it  was  confined  to 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


351 


the  two  parishes  of  the  Holy  Redeemer  and  St.  Alphonsus;  but 
the  members  now  numbered  twenty  priests  and  ten  lay  brothers, 
and  their  mission  work  in  the  diocese  had  become  prominent. 
They  kept  to  their  old  traditions  of  preaching  the  doctrines  and 
discipline  of  the  Church  with  vigor,  simplicity,  and  strong  em¬ 
phasis;  and  their  effect  upon  mission  audiences  proved  the  apt¬ 
ness  of  their  method.  The  pastors  found  their  missions  beneficial. 
It  was  a  sign  of  the  times,  however,  that  many  congregations 
had  come  to  prefer  the  milder  presentation  of  religious  doctrine, 
employed  by  the  Jesuits,  Paulists,  and  Dominicans,  while  the  pas¬ 
tors  disputed  about  the  merits  of  the  two  systems.  These  were 
symptoms  of  the  change  taking  place  in  the  Catholic  multitude; 
where  one  taste  existed  before,  many  had  now  to  be  consulted. 
The  Redemptorists  still  remained  the  evangelists  of  the  German 
section  of  the  Catholic  body  in  New  York,  but  their  society  had 
trained  a  good  number  of  natives  of  German  and  Irish  stock,  and 
its  missionary  department  worked  as  much  among  the  English- 
speaking  parishes  as  among  the  Germans.  The  Capucins  had 
charge  of  the  parishes  of  St.  John  Baptist  on  West  Thirtieth 
Street  and  of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrow  on  Pitt  Street,  where  they 
worked  among  the  Germans;  the  Franciscans  had  charge  of  St. 
Francis’  parish  in  West  Thirty-first  Street  for  the  Germans,  and 
St.  Anthony’s  in  Sullivan  Street  for  the  Italians;  the  Fathers  of 
Mercy  still  continued  in  the  parish  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  on 
West  Twenty-third  Street,  laboring  for  the  French  population. 
These  three  communities  carried  on  their  work  strictly  after  their 
own  fashion,  with  little  regard  to  the  novelties  of  the  hour.  The 
Dominicans  entered  the  diocese  in  1868  with  the  foundation  of 
the  parish  of  St.  Vincent  Ferrer,  and  the  erection  of  a  church  and 
convent  on  Lexington  Avenue  at  Sixty-fifth  Street.  This  religious 
community  had  long  been  established  in  the  country,  and  had 


352  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


furnished  to  the  diocese  its  first  two  bishops,  Concanen  and  Con¬ 
nolly,  who  had  planned  for  their  order  a  brilliant  and  useful 
career  in  the  metropolis.  The  Pious  Society  of  Missions  opened 
a  church  for  the  Italians  on  East  One  Hundred  Fifteenth  Street 
in  1884,  and  established  their  community  in  the  city. 

The  communities  would  easily  have  increased  in  the  city  and 
the  diocese,  for  there  was  no  lack  of  subjects;  but  the  diocesan 
authorities  would  not  permit  of  their  growth  beyond  a  certain 
ratio  with  regard  to  the  diocesan  clergy.  This  prohibition  is  a 
recognized  feature  of  diocesan  policy  in  modern  times,  since  the 
natural  tendency  of  the  religious  community  has  been  to  increase 
rapidly  and  absorb  all  advantages  in  its  vicinity.  It  is  greatly 
to  the  credit  of  the  New  York  Catholics  that  they  furnished  a 
good  number  of  vocations  to  the  communities.  The  convents 
were  recruiting  stations  for  the  young  men  eager  to  adopt  the  life 
of  a  religious.  They  provided  the  illustration  of  its  beauty  and 
simplicity,  helped  the  candidate  with  advice  and  direction,  en¬ 
couraged  the  budding  vocation  in  the  youth,  took  charge  of  his 
college  training,  and  thus  supplied  their  ranks  with  new  members. 
The  lay  communities  had  not  during  this  period  the  same  suc¬ 
cess.  They  were  only  three  in  number,  the  Franciscans  with  a 
single  convent  in  Rondout,  the  Brothers  of  Mary,  who  had  a 
membership  of  twenty-five  and  taught  the  German  schools  in 
the  city,  and  the  Christian  Brothers  with  a  membership  of  about 
two  hundred.  The  success  of  the  last  named  helped  to  prove 
that  a  lay  community  could  succeed  in  this  country,  which  was 
doubted  by  many  at  that  time.  In  France,  the  Christian  Brothers 
with  a  large  membership  had  won  success  in  educating  boys  and 
young  men,  in  trade  and  teclmical  schools,  and  in  reformatories. 
The  American  conditions  brought  them  a  new  development. 

Originally  founded  to  secure  an  education  for  the  poorest 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


353 


boys,  the  change  in  educational  and  social  conditions  had  some¬ 
what  modified  their  aims.  In  the  United  States,  the  education  of 
the  children  had  been  undertaken  by  the  State  in  so  extensive  a 
fashion  as  to  embrace  every  department  from  the  primary  to  the 
college  grades.  There  were  no  poor  children  in  America.  In 
time,  compulsory  laws  in  most  States  sent  every  child  to  school, 
and  provided  him  with  books;  where  his  poverty  went  deeper, 
private  charity  provided  him  with  clothes  and  food.  The  original 
aim  of  the  Christian  Brothers  found  no  room  for  exercise  in  Amer¬ 
ica.  The  building  up  of  the  church  schools  offered  them  a 
career.  The  need  of  a  college  system  gave  them  another  opening. 
Their  rule  prohibited  them  from  the  study  and  the  teaching  of 
Latin,  the  better  to  confine  them  strictly  to  primary  teaching; 
but  the  American  bishops  secured  from  the  Pope,  with  the  consent 
of  the  French  Superior-General  and  his  council,  a  dispensation 
from  this  rule.  Manhattan  College  was  founded  along  with 
many  others  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  training  a  diocesan  clergy, 
and  a  laity  intended  for  the  professions.  The  reformatory  work 
provided  a  third  opening.  In  a  brief  space  of  time  the  Brothers 
were  more  than  busy  with  the  work  of  the  college,  with  the  special 
work  of  the  academies  where  boys  were  prepared  for  college  and 
business  life,  with  the  intermediate  schools,  and  with  the  great 
trade  and  disciplinary  departments  of  the  Protectory  in  West¬ 
chester  County.  To  secure  good  men  for  this  great  and  varied 
labor  they  had  to  build  novitiates  which  were  normal  and  tech¬ 
nical  schools  as  well,  win  the  hearts  of  the  youth,  fit  them  for  the 
community  life  and  the  special  work,  and  hold  them  to  the  ideal 
standards.  The  effort  brought  the  community  a  splendid  devel¬ 
opment  in  quality  and  numbers,  and  showed  its  genuine  force  in 
the  work  accomplished  amid  innumerable  difficulties.  In  New 
York,  Brother  Patrick  earned  distinction  for  his  share  in  the 


354  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


achievement  no  less  than  for  his  fine  personal  qualities;  and  after 
him  Brother  Justin  continued  the  labor  on  the  same  lines  with 
a  like  success.  These  two  leaders  gathered  about  them  a  remark¬ 
able  body  of  professors,  teachers,  technical  instructors,  admin¬ 
istrators,  and  writers.  At  the  close  of  the  period  they  had  proved 
conclusively  that  the  lay  male  community  had  a  place  in  Ameri¬ 
can  life,  and  would  never  fail  for  lack  of  members  or  for  lack 
of  a  proper  sphere.  Apart  from  their  special  aims  in  the  fields 
of  education  and  charity,  both  the  clerical  and  lay  communities 
kept  before  the  youth  the  high  and  lovely  ideal  of  the  monastic 
life;  its  simplicity  and  purity,  its  devotion  to  God  and  the  neigh¬ 
bor,  its  detachment  and  sacrifice,  amid  all  the  imperfections  of 
individuals  and  conditions,  shone  clear  to  the  people;  and  even 
where  the  intimacy  of  college  life  might  have  shown  the  small 
human  weaknesses  of  its  exemplars,  nevertheless  its  sweetness 
and  strength  remained  with  the  young  men.  In  after  life,  when 
the  conflict  of  man  with  his  environment  became  plainer  to  them, 
their  affection  and  gratitude  for  the  guardians  of  their  youth  rose 
beyond  all  memories  of  imperfection.  The  bond  between  the 
teacher  and  his  pupil,  between  the  guardian  and  his  ward,  grew 
stronger.  The  communities  left  a  memorable  impress  on  this 
entire  period. 

The  increase  of  the  female  communities  surpassed  all  expec¬ 
tation,  and  at  one  time  threatened  to  outstrip  the  demand  for 
them.  The  Sisters  of  Charity  took  the  lead  from  the  beginning 
and  kept  it.  Their  membership  nearly  equalled  all  others  com¬ 
bined.  In  1885  they  reported  930  sisters,  novices,  and  postu¬ 
lants.  In  this  country,  women  take  more  kindly  to  the  convent 
life  than  men,  they  work  as  well  and  demand  less  pay,  and  in 
certain  forms  of  charity  and  educational  work  they  are  indis¬ 
pensable;  when  their  natural  religious  fervor  is  added,  the  in- 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


355 


crease  of  the  female  communities  is  explained.  The  Sisters  of 
Charity,  though  founded  by  Mother  Seton,  got  a  second  impulse 
of  energy  from  Archbishop  Hughes.  As  we  have  already  seen, 
he  disagreed  with  the  Emmettsburg  superiors  over  that  rigid 
adherence  to  rule  in  the  face  of  need  which  has  ruined  more  than 
one  community.  Because  he  wished  the  Sisters  to  take  charge 
of  both  boys  and  girls  in  his  orphan  asylums,  whereas  their  rule 
and  their  Superior  required  them  to  exclude  boys,  there  resulted 
a  dispute  which  ended  in  a  compromise;  such  Sisters  of  Charity 
as  chose  to  remain  in  New  York  were  released  from  their  alle¬ 
giance,  and  permitted  to  form  a  new  society.  The  seceding 
members  at  once  drew  up  a  constitution  which  for  flexibility  left 
nothing  to  be  desired.  They  remained  free  to  take  up  any  good 
work  sanctioned  by  their  superiors.  Mother  Seton’s  community 
from  that  time  displayed  the  qualities  of  its  foundress  and  its 
spiritual  father,  Dr.  Hughes.  In  its  finest  qualities  it  was  of 
pure  American  birth.  The  costume  of  the  sisterhood  was  simple, 
decent,  and  becoming,  expressing  both  poverty  and  taste:  a  plain 
dress  of  black  cloth,  a  small  cape  of  the  same  material,  and  a 
bonnet  of  black  glazed  stuff,  under  which  the  hair  was  visible 
and  worn  short.  For  street  dress  the  black  shawl  took  the  place 
of  the  cape,  and  a  shaker  bonnet  of  moderate  size  replaced  the 
glazed  cap. 

They  had  begun  their  work  in  the  orphan  asylums;  afterwards 
they  went  into  the  girls’  academies  and  the  parochial  schools; 
next  they  took  up  the  protectorate  of  girls;  they  trained  their 
members  for  hospital  work;  they  organized  the  great  foundling 
asylum  and  solved  all  its  internal  difficulties;  they  opened  a  re¬ 
treat  for  the  insane;  and  in  all  these  departments  won  a  reputa¬ 
tion  for  excellence  and  fitness.  The  academy  for  girls  at  Mount 
St.  Vincent’s  earned  a  national  renown.  The  training  of  their 


356  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


novices  for  these  works  of  charity  and  of  education  must  in  itself 
have  been  a  work  of  importance;  the  mere  keeping  up  of  the 
standard  of  holy  living,  under  such  a  stress  of  labor,  must  have 
required  clever  superiors.  While  securing  and  training  recruits 
for  the  work  of  five  orphanages,  the  Protectory,  the  foundling 
asylum,  two  hospitals,  and  a  retreat,  large  and  small  academies, 
and  a  host  of  parochial  schools,  they  were  able  to  spare  a  num¬ 
ber  of  Sisters  for  founding  establishments  in  other  dioceses.  Their 
work  set  the  standard  for  others  many  years.  Their  flexibility 
enabled  them  to  adapt  themselves  to  the  ever-changing  methods 
of  a  new  and  strange  country,  strange  from  the  European  point 
of  view  at  least,  and  also  from  that  of  all  human  experience. 
History  repeats  itself,  is  a  common  saying;  yet  the  combination 
of  conditions  found  in  the  Republic  never  had  its  like  on  earth, 
as  far  as  written  history  permits  us  to  judge.  The  religious  com¬ 
munities  succeeded  in  proportion  to  their  ability  to  understand 
and  deal  with  the  new  variety  of  life  and  thought  in  America. 

The  Sisters  of  Mercy  continued  their  work  on  the  same  lines, 
and  met  with  modest  success.  Their  membership  increased  to 
seventy.  Besides  the  House  of  Mercy  on  Houston  Street,  in 
which  they  had  begun  their  work  in  behalf  of  poor  girls,  they 
built  an  asylum  on  East  Eighty-first  Street  for  girls,  and  another 
for  boys  near  the  city  of  Newburg.  The  girls  numbered  six 
hundred,  and  were  trained  particularly  for  domestic  service,  and 
for  general  work  in  the  trades  and  shops.  The  boys  numbered 
nearly  four  hundred,  and  were  trained  with  the  same  purpose. 
Places  were  found  for  the  children  when  the  time  came  for  them 
to  earn  their  own  living,  and  such  as  had  no  parents  or  guardians 
were  looked  after  for  some  time.  The  Sisters  kept  up  their  special 
work  of  visiting  the  prisons,  hospitals,  and  the  homes  of  the  poor; 
they  built  on  Madison  Avenue  a  central  house  for  the  community. 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


357 


in  which  the  novices  were  trained  for  their  future  work;  and  also 
managed  some  academies.  The  Dominican  Sisters  from  Ratisbon 
followed  a  similar  plan  in  behalf  of  the  German  population. 
With  a  membership  of  about  ninety  they  conducted  an  academy 
on  Second  Street,  an  orphan  asylum  with  three  hundred  orphans 
in  Blauveltville,  an  industrial  school  in  the  parish  of  St.  Nicholas, 
and  church  schools  on  Stanton  Street,  West  Thirty-first  Street, 
East  Seventeenth  Street,  and  Ridge  Street;  while  in  the  country 
they  had  an  academy  in  Newburg  and  a  school  at  Fremont  Center 
in  Sullivan  County.  The  Dominicans  of  the  Third  Order  opened 
a  house  in  1876  on  East  Sixty -third  Street,  and  founded  an  orphan 
asylum  which  cared  for  two  hundred  children.  The  Sisters  of 
Notre  Dame  increased  their  membership  to  sixty,  taught  the 
church  schools  of  the  two  German  parishes  of  the  Holy  Redeemer 
and  the  Assumption,  and  managed  an  orphan  asylum  on  East 
Eighty-ninth  Street  with  five  hundred  children.  The  Marianite 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross,  a  community  from  the  town  of  LeMans, 
France,  settled  in  the  city  in  1867,  and  with  a  membership  of 
eighty  took  charge  of  an  academy  on  West  Twenty-third  Street, 
and  an  orphan  asylum  for  French  children  on  West  Thirty-ninth 
Street. 

The  communities  which  confined  their  work  strictly  to  teach¬ 
ing  made  some  progress.  The  ladies  of  the  Sacred  Heart  estab¬ 
lished  firmly  the  reputation  of  their  boarding-school  in  Manhat- 
tanville,  increased  their  membership  to  one  hundred  and  fifty, 
opened  academies  on  West  Seventeenth  Street  and  Madison 
Avenue,  and  taught  parochial  schools  in  St.  Francis  Xavier’s 
parish  and  at  St.  Joseph’s  on  West  One  Hundred  Twenty-fifth 
Street.  The  principles  and  methods  of  their  famous  schools  abroad 
were  carried  out  with  strict  interpretation  in  the  American  envi¬ 
ronment,  and  won  considerable  praise  from  those  who  admired 


358  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


the  European  and  aristocratic  theory  of  female  training;  but  it 
also  received  sharp  criticism  from  the  advocates  of  methods  suited 
to  new  conditions.  The  community  went  on  its  way  in  the  face 
of  all  criticism,  however,  and  its  financial  success  proved  that  its 
method  was  appreciated  by  a  large  section  of  the  community. 
The  Ursuline  Sisters  developed  their  academy  at  Morrisania, 
and  founded  two  more  in  the  parishes  of  St.  Teresa  and  of  St. 
Jerome,  where  they  also  directed  the  church  schools.  Their 
membership  increased  to  thirty-five.  In  St.  Michael’s  parish, 
Father  Donnelly  established  a  community  of  Sisters  of  the  Pre¬ 
sentation,  from  Ireland,  and  gave  them  charge  of  the  parochial 
school  and  of  a  home  on  Staten  Island.  They  had  twenty-five 
members.  A  community  from  Paderborn,  Germany,  opened 
convents  in  Melrose  and  Poughkeepsie,  and  taught  the  German 
children  in  those  districts.  They  were  called  the  Sisters  of  Chris¬ 
tian  Charity,  and  had  about  ten  members. 

Although  these  female  communities  might  appear  much  alike 
to  the  ordinary  observer,  as  their  life  and  its  main  principles  had 
the  same  root,  yet  each  was  characteristic,  had  its  own  particular 
method  of  work,  applied  it  with  exactness,  and  developed  a  tra¬ 
dition  that  dominated  the  community  as  a  whole  and  its  separate 
members.  The  Sacred  Heart  Sisters  cultivated  elegance  of  form 
in  study,  expression,  deportment,  and  remained  entirely  apart 
from  the  world  in  their  daily  life.  They  could  be  seen  in  the 
retirement  of  the  convent,  but  they  never  went  abroad  without 
necessity,  and  then  remained  in  silence  and  obscurity  until  their 
return.  The  Sisters  of  Mercy,  on  the  other  hand,  went  every¬ 
where  that  charity  and  duty  called  them;  they  visited  the  poor 
in  their  homes,  and  the  sick  in  the  hospitals;  they  found  their 
way  into  the  prisons,  instructed  the  ignorant,  helped  women  to 
find  employment;  but  their  rule  demanded  that  they  travel  always 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


359 


in  pairs,  and  return  home  to  the  shelter  of  the  convent  at  the 
close  of  the  day;  and  they  made  it  a  matter  of  duty  to  observe 
in  this  public  life  the  refined  manner  and  speech  of  the  most 
retiring  nuns. 

The  Sisters  of  Charity,  trained  to  the  poor  school,  the  or¬ 
phanage,  the  academy,  the  hospital,  the  foundling  asylum,  showed 
always  the  readiness  and  swiftness  of  business  women,  the  alert¬ 
ness  and  indifference  to  formality  that  mark  such  people.  The 
Sisters  of  the  Holy  Cross  displayed  the  pleasant  combination  of 
vivacity  and  formality  peculiar  to  the  French  nun,  so  that  there 
was  no  mistaking  their  nationality.  The  Notre  Dame  com¬ 
munities  and  the  Sisters  of  Christian  Charity  were  all  German 
in  their  good  nature,  simplicity,  and  quiet  energy.  The  Presen¬ 
tation  nuns  brought  to  America  a  strict  Irish  tradition,  and  held 
to  it  through  all  the  invasions  of  circumstance.  The  Ursulines 
cultivated  flexibility  in  the  midst  of  a  retirement  not  far  removed 
from  that  of  cloistered  communities.  Very  little  or  no  friction 
existed  among  these  societies,  but  a  certain  rivalry  kept  them  on 
the  alert  as  to  the  progress  made  by  one  another,  and  materially 
helped  in  their  American  development.  With  the  tenacity  pe¬ 
culiar  to  women  living  in  retirement,  they  held  on  to  ancient 
methods  against  the  stern  demands  of  a  new  environment  and 
a  new  civilization.  The  maintenance  of  the  community  rule 
through  all  changes  of  time,  is  the  central  thought  of  conserva¬ 
tive  members,  while  the  more  intelligent  recognize  the  necessity 
for  adaptation  as  circumstances  change.  The  history  of  each 
community  is  directed  practically  by  the  struggle  between  these 
two  powers,  and  each  derives  its  piquant  variety  from  the  same 
source.  On  the  other  hand  the  hospital  communities,  and  those 
devoted  directly  and  solely  to  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  wretched, 
are  always  in  the  process  of  adaptation,  compelled  by  the  miseries 


360  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


which  they  alleviate  to  do  that  which  is  best  at  the  moment,  con¬ 
sidering  only  human  need. 

Distinguished  among  this  class  was  the  community  known 
as  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis.  Their  work  was  the 
care  of  the  sick.  They  founded  a  general  hospital  on  East  Fifth 
Street  in  1870,  and  later  opened  on  East  One  Hundred  Ninth 
Street  their  famous  hospital  for  consumptives.  They  numbered 
fifty  members,  and  won  a  wide  reputation  both  for  their  skill 
and  for  their  generous  spirit;  a  spirit  which  led  them  to  minimize 
always  the  exactions  of  the  house-rule  in  favor  of  the  poor  pa¬ 
tients.  The  intelligence  and  charity  with  which  they  managed 
their  two  hospitals  gave  them  a  firm  place  in  the  public  regard. 
The  Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor  established  themselves  in  the  dio¬ 
cese  in  1875,  and  very  soon  had  established  a  home  for  the  aged 
on  the  east  side.  The  community  was  founded  in  France  in  the 
year  1840,  received  the  approbation  of  the  Pope  in  1854,  and  at 
once  took  a  prominent  place  in  the  work  of  charity.  They  made 
the  care  of  the  aged  their  specialty,  providing  homes  for  men 
and  women  over  sixty  no  longer  able  to  maintain  themselves, 
and  supporting  them  by  any  and  all  kinds  of  contributions  from 
the  charitable.  The  sisterhood  became  famous  by  its  industry 
in  securing  the  waste  goods  of  society,  in  the  shape  of  food  and 
clothing.  They  numbered  about  thirty  members. 

The  Franciscan  Sisters  of  the  various  communities  had  es¬ 
tablishments  in  Peekskill  and  Staten  Island.  Although  of  dif¬ 
ferent  foundations  they  were  all  of  the  Third  Order.  At  Peek- 
skill  they  had  charge  of  an  important  institution  for  children,  and 
numbered  nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  members.  On  Staten 
Island  they  had  the  care  of  the  mission  established  by  Father 
Drumgoole,  and  numbered  about  twenty-five.  A  French  com¬ 
munity  called  the  Bon  Secours,  followed  the  vocation  of  nursing 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


361 


the  sick  in  their  homes,  and  won  a  reputation  for  skill  and  kind¬ 
liness  that  brought  them  into  demand.  The  deaf  mutes  were 
looked  after  by  an  organization  which  observed  the  rules  of  a 
religious  community,  but  whose  members  wore  no  uniform  and 
retained  their  own  names;  a  marked  departure  from  the  tradi¬ 
tional  custom  of  putting  on  a  religious  garb  and  assuming  the 
name  of  a  saint,  to  emphasize  their  separation  from  the  world. 
The  community  of  the  Good  Shepherd  with  one  hundred  mem¬ 
bers,  had  a  home  for  wayward  girls  and  fallen  women  on  East 
Eighty-ninth  Street  near  the  river,  and  grew  to  be  a  most  suc¬ 
cessful  and  important  institution.  Their  work  was  one  of  ex¬ 
ceeding  delicacy,  but  of  undoubted  necessity,  and  was  conducted 
with  such  discretion  as  to  command  the  interest  and  respect  of 
the  whole  country.  It  can  be  seen  from  this  description  that 
the  growth  of  the  religious  communities  during  this  period,  in 
spite  of  many  disadvantages,  showed  no  lack  of  interest  on  the 
part  of  the  people.  Native  recruits  came  in  generously,  and 
financial  support  was  sufficient  to  stimulate  their  activity  without 
relieving  their  superiors  of  useful  anxiety  and  steady  labor;  while 
the  criticism  of  enemies,  who  saw  their  growth  with  regret,  kept 
them  alive  to  their  own  shortcomings  and  busy  in  self-improve¬ 
ment. 


St.  Paul’s  Apostle 


CHAPTER  XXII 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 

THE  inspiration  of  local  church  legis¬ 
lation  during  this  period  came 
from  the  Second  Plenary  Council  of 
Baltimore,  held  in  October  of  the  year 
1866,  under  the  presidency  of  a  strong 
man  and  remarkable  prelate,  Arch¬ 
bishop  Martin  Spalding.  It  was  a 
distinguished  and  significant  gather¬ 
ing  for  the  Catholic  body,  which  in 
half  a  century  had  advanced  from 
lowliness  to  eminence.  Seven  arch- 
p.  v.  Hickey  bishops  and  forty  bishops  formed  the 

council.  They  came  from  every  part  of  the  country,  from  Boston 
to  San  Francisco,  representing  all  the  races  settled  in  the  United 
States;  of  Spanish  blood  was  one,  six  were  of  English  blood,  four 
of  German,  sixteen  of  French,  and  twenty  of  Irish.  The  Civil 
War  had  made  the  expression  of  opinion  almost  perilous.  The 
pastoral  letter  sent  out  by  the  fathers  of  the  Council  spoke  out 
plainly,  however,  and  gave  a  clear  view  of  the  temper  in  which 
the  gathering  had  been  held  and  its  canons  enacted.  Its  tone 
enables  us  to  understand  at  this  date  the  popular  feeling  both  of 
Catholics  and  non-Catholics  towards  the  Council.  It  began  with 
an  explanation  of  the  authority  of  a  Plenary  Council,  representing 
not  the  universal  Church,  but  only  a  part  of  it.  Although  a  local 
gathering,  its  authority  was  original,  not  merely  delegated;  there- 

(362) 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


363 


fore  its  decrees  become,  from  the  time  of  promulgation,  the  law 
for  the  Catholics  in  that  particular  region  for  which  the  Council  is 
assembled.  These  decrees  are  not  published  until  they  have  been 
submitted  to  the  Holy  See,  which  examines  them  carefully  to 
guard  against  the  admission  of  error,  and  then  stamps  them  with 
the  approval  of  the  highest  authority  in  the  Church. 

The  next  point  taken  up  was  ecclesiastical  authority,  which 
the  letter  presented  to  the  faithful  in  its  doctrinal  form,  over¬ 
throwing  all  the  popular  arguments  against  the  authority  of  the 
Church  and  the  jurisdiction  of  the  bishops.  It  summarized  the 
argument  against  the  whole  Protestant  theory  of  church  govern¬ 
ment,  and  warned  the  recalcitrant  Catholics  of  their  duty  towards 
their  prelates  in  clear  language :  “  Hence  when  we  warn  you,  either 
collectively,  as  in  the  present  instance,  or  singly  in  our  respective 
dioceses,  to  avoid  secret  societies  and  all  associations  which  we 
deem  unlawful,  you  cannot,  on  the  peril  of  your  souls,  disregard 
our  admonitions;  because  the  authority  we  exercise  in  such  cases 
is  that  of  Him  who  has  said,  ‘  He  who  hears  you,  hears  Me,  and 
he  who  despises  you  despises  Me ;  and  he  that  despises  Me  despises 
Him  that  sent  Me.”’  The  relations  of  Church  and  State  were 
treated  with  remarkable  candor,  considering  the  irritable  con¬ 
dition  of  public  feeling.  After  describing  the  mutual  harmony 
in  which  the  two  powers  should  always  live,  the  letter  pointed 
out  the  hostile  character  of  legislation  in  many  states  of  the  Union 
against  the  tenure  of  church  property,  and  uttered  a  mild  but 
emphatic  protest  against  its  continuance.  “Instead  of  seeking 
to  disprove  the  various  reasons  alleged  for  this  denial  of  the  Church’s 
rights  in  some  of  the  states,  we  content  ourselves  with  the  formal 
protest  we  hereby  enter  against  it;  and  briefly  remark,  that  even 
in  the  supposition,  which  we  by  no  means  admit,  that  such  denial 
was  the  result  of  legitimate  motives,  the  denial  itself  is  incom- 


364  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


patible  with  the  full  measure  of  ecclesiastical  or  religious  liberty, 
which  we  are  supposed  to  enjoy.” 

The  matter  of  aiding  the  Pope  in  his  necessities  was  placed 
before  the  people  directly,  with  no  more  than  a  mild  allusion  to 
the  encroachments  of  the  Italian  king  upon  the  papal  territories; 
an  annual  collection  was  ordered  as  the  American  share  of  a 
general  contribution;  but  the  faithful  were  reminded,  in  answer 
to  the  jubilation  of  enemies  at  the  approaching  downfall  of  the 
temporal  power,  that  this  hostile  joy  was  ill-founded,  and  its  ex¬ 
pectations  utterly  foolish.  “You  need  not  to  be  told  that  the 
condition  of  the  Church  of  Christ  on  earth  is  one  of  trial  and 
endurance,  that  the  Spouse  of  Christ  is  never  more  worthy  of 
His  love  than  when  assimilated  to  Him  by  walking  in  His  foot¬ 
steps,  that  the  temporary  triumph  of  her  enemies  is  the  forerunner 
of  their  ultimate  defeat,  and  that  every  trial  to  which  she  is  sub¬ 
jected  is  the  preparation  for  her  final  victory.”  The  letter  uttered 
a  strong  protest  against  the  loose  opinions  prevailing  with  regard 
to  marriage,  which  it  characterized  as  “false  and  degrading  theo¬ 
ries  ....  boldly  put  forward  by  the  enemies  of  the  Church;” 
and  it  recorded  its  protest  against  the  claim  of  any  state  to  issue 
decrees  of  divorce,  “from  which  would  follow  a  successive  poly¬ 
gamy,  no  less  opposed  to  the  unity  and  stability  of  Christian  mar¬ 
riage  than  that  simultaneous  polygamy,  which,  to  the  scandal  of 
Christendom,  is  found  within  our  borders.  No  State  can  authorize 
divorce,  so  as  to  permit  the  parties  divorced  to  contract  new  en¬ 
gagements;  and  every  such  new  engagement,  contracted  during 
the  joint  lives  of  the  parties  so  divorced,  involves  the  crime  of 
adultery.  We  refer  with  pain  to  the  scandalous  multiplication  of 
these  unlawful  separations,  which,  more  than  any  other  cause, 
are  sapping  the  foundations  of  morality  and  preparing  society  for 
an  entire  dissolution  of  the  basis  on  which  it  rests.” 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


365 


Then  followed  a  recommendation  of  the  press  and  its  work, 
and  special  recognition  of  Father  Hecker’s  publication  enterprise 
for  the  spread  of  Catholic  literature.  On  the  question  of  education 
the  letter  repeated  the  admonition  of  the  first  council  on  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  the  religious  principle  in  the  education  of  children,  to  which 
it  added  another  concerning  the  superfluous  in  training:  “Educa¬ 
tion,  to  be  good,  need  not  necessarily  be  either  high  or  ornamental, 
in  the  studies  or  accomplishments  it  embraces.  These  things 
are  in  themselves  unobjectionable,  and  they  may  be  suitable  and 
advantageous  or  otherwise,  according  to  circumstances.  Pre¬ 
pare  your  children  for  the  duties  of  the  state  or  condition  of  life 
they  are  likely  to  be  engaged  in;  do  not  exhaust  your  means  in 
bestowing  on  them  an  education  that  may  unfit  them  for  these 
duties.”  Finally,  after  judicious  advice  on  other  subjects  of 
lesser  importance,  the  letter  bluntly  expressed  Catholic  opinion 
and  feeling  on  the  wholesale  emancipation  of  the  slaves.  “We 
must  all  feel,  beloved  brethren,  that  in  some  manner  a  new  and 
most  extensive  field  of  charity  and  devotedness  has  been  opened 
to  us,  by  the  emancipation  of  the  immense  slave  population  of  the 
South.  We  could  have  wished,  that  in  accordance  with  the  action 
of  the  Catholic  Church  in  past  ages,  in  regard  to  the  serfs  of  Eu¬ 
rope,  a  more  gradual  system  of  emancipation  could  have  been 
adopted,  so  that  they  might  have  been  in  some  measure  prepared 
to  make  a  better  use  of  their  freedom  than  they  are  likely  to  do 
now.  Still  the  evils  which  must  necessarily  attend  upon  the  sudden 
liberation  of  so  large  a  multitude,  with  their  peculiar  dispositions 
and  habits,  only  make  the  appeal  to  our  Christian  charity  and 
zeal,  presented  by  their  forlorn  condition,  the  more  forcible  and 
imperative.  ” 

The  language  of  the  letter  indicates  considerable  confidence 
in  the  general  public,  and  in  the  correctness  of  their  attitude,  on 


366  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


the  part  of  the  bishops.  This  tone  was  imitated  in  the  diocesan 
pastorals  which  followed  the  synods  held  throughout  the  land 
during  the  next  few  years.  Archbishop  McCloskey  convoked  the 
third  synod  of  the  New  York  diocese  for  the  29th  of  September, 
1868.  The  preliminary  gathering  took  place  on  the  28th,  in  which 
the  outline  of  the  legislative  work  to  be  done  was  presented  to  the 
clergy.  The  solemn  opening  of  the  synod  occurred  the  next  morn¬ 
ing,  when  the  prelate  celebrated  a  solemn  Mass  and  the  delibera¬ 
tions  began.  The  scene  was  the  Cathedral  in  Mott  Street.  The 
officers  of  the  synod  were  Fathers  Quinn  and  Leimgruber,  the 
Redemptorist,  as  procurators  of  the  clergy,  Fathers  McNierny  and 
Edward  O’Reilly  as  secretaries,  and  Father  John  Kearney  as  the 
master  of  ceremonies;  the  clergy  present  numbered  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  Two  sessions  were  held,  and  the  synod  closed 
on  the  30th  with  the  usual  ceremonies.  The  decrees  enacted  were 
contained  under  five  heads.  The  first  promulgated  the  decrees 
of  the  Second  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  already  approved  by 
the  Pope,  together  with  the  decrees  of  the  three  provincial  councils 
of  New  York,  and  ordered  them  to  be  thenceforward  observed  in 
the  diocese. 

The  second,  on  the  sacraments,  treated  of  all  the  sacraments 
except  Holy  Orders,  beginning  each  chapter  with  the  dogmatic 
description  of  the  sacrament  and  its  Scriptural  authorization. 
Thus,  in  the  regulations  with  regard  to  Baptism  the  chapter  begins: 
“  Since  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism  is  absolutely  necessary  for  sal¬ 
vation,  according  to  the  words  of  Christ  the  Lord,  ‘unless  a  man  be 
born  again  of  water  and  the  Holy  Ghost  he  cannot  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  God,’  by  all  it  must  be  considered  as  the  first  and 
the  door  as  it  were  of  the  other  sacraments.”  It  was  ordered 
by  the  synod  that  every  church  in  which  Baptism  was  regularly  ad¬ 
ministered  should  erect  a  baptismal  font,  keep  it  locked  when  not 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


367 


in  use,  and  see  that  everything  pertaining  to  the  administration  of 
the  sacrament  was  kept  in  good  condition.  The  missionary  custom 
was  to  baptize  wherever  convenient,  and  it  had  continued  even 
after  good  churches  and  fixed  populations  became  common.  The 
font  was  not  in  general  use,  a  light  excuse  was  enough  to  dispense 
infants  from  being  brought  to  the  church,  and  the  priest  dispensed 
with  godparents,  with  surplice  and  stole,  with  newly  consecrated 
oils,  as  the  circumstances  permitted.  It  was  ordered  therefore 
that  baptism  should  never  be  administered  outside  of  a  church 
unless  for  the  gravest  reasons;  that  at  least  one  godparent  should 
be  provided  for  the  infant;  that  this  godparent  should  be  a  Catholic 
and  of  good  reputation;  that  the  proper  vestments  should  be  worn 
by  the  priest;  that  converts  should  be  baptized  after  the  form  laid 
down  by  the  Sacred  Congregation;  and  that  no  oils  could  be  used 
longer  than  ten  days  after  Holy  Thursday,  when  the  newly  con¬ 
secrated  oils  were  ready  for  distribution. 

With  regard  to  the  Sacrament  of  Confirmation,  it  was  ordered 
that  godparents  should  be  provided  for  the  recipients  as  in  Baptism, 
two  men  for  the  boys  and  two  women  for  the  girls;  that  the  candi¬ 
dates  for  the  sacrament  should  have  made  their  first  communion 
and  have  reached  the  age  of  eleven;  and  that  a  book  containing 
their  names  should  be  kept  as  carefully  as  the  baptismal  register. 
The  first  of  these  regulations  became  the  custom  of  the  country 
at  large,  although  in  later  years  the  number  of  godparents  was 
reduced  to  one  man  for  the  boys  and  one  woman  for  the  girls; 
the  second  also  became  the  general  custom;  but  the  third  fell 
largely  into  disuse  for  various  reasons.  Concerning  the  Sacra¬ 
ment  of  the  Eucharist,  the  clergy  were  commanded  to  observe 
with  the  utmost  care  and  devotion  all  the  rubrics  connected  with 
the  Mass  and  the  distribution  of  the  Eucharist  to  the  faithful. 
Under  pain  of  suspension,  the  priest  was  forbidden  to  say  Mass 


368  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


without  a  cassock,  unless  compelled  by  some  extraordinary  neces¬ 
sity.  This  occurred  not  rarely  in  poor  districts,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  priest  who  arrived  at  a  wild  mission  to  celebrate  a  funeral 
Mass,  found  the  expected  cassock  made  away  with,  and  arranged 
a  temporary  cassock  out  of  a  black  shawl.  He  was  forbidden 
under  the  same  severe  penalty  to  carry  the  Eucharist  to  the  sick 
unless  in  a  becomingly  ornamented  burse,  hung  about  his  neck 
and  concealed  near  his  breast;  or  to  leave  it  in  any  private  place, 
unless  he  was  far  from  home,  or  in  case  the  church  would  not  be 
a  safe  place  at  the  moment.  It  was  ordered  that  in  all  churches 
where  the  Eucharist  was  regularly  kept,  the  sanctuary  lamp  should 
be  kept  burning  night  and  day  according  to  the  rubrics;  and  also 
that  in  such  churches  the  vestments  and  vessels  necessary  for 
Benediction  should  be  kept  and  this  pious  ceremony  should  be 
given. 

With  regard  to  the  Sacrament  of  Penance,  it  was  urged  upon 
the  clergy  that  confessions  be  heard  on  Fridays  and  Saturdays 
as  a  custom,  and  also  on  the  vigils  of  the  great  feasts ;  the  old  rules 
for  the  proper  erection  and  placing  of  confessionals  were  repeated; 
and  it  was  commanded  that  in  the  confessional  the  priest  should 
observe  the  rule  of  wearing  both  surplice  and  stole.  The  priests 
were  cautioned  to  see  that  Extreme  Unction  was  not  too  long  de¬ 
layed  in  the  case  of  the  sick,  and  were  requested  to  urge  its  reception 
upon  their  people  because  of  its  great  help  in  banishing  disease 
as  well  as  easing  the  pangs  of  death.  As  priests  were  often  con¬ 
sulted  by  the  sick  with  regard  to  the  disposition  of  their  property 
and  the  making  of  wills,  the  statutes  warned  the  clergy  to  keep 
themselves  free  from  all  suspicion  of  self-interest  and  avarice,  to 
avoid  such  tasks  as  drawing  up  a  will  or  acting  as  executors,  and 
to  decline,  except  in  cases  of  absolute  necessity,  the  guardianship 
of  minors. 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


369 


Naturally  the  irregularities  in  the  celebration  of  marriage  were 
of  the  most  numerous  and  vexatious  sort,  and  called  for  several 
decrees  tending  towards  stricter  observance  of  the  forms  and  safe¬ 
guards  thrown  about  the  great  sacrament.  Among  non-Catholics, 
marriage  was  no  longer  a  sacrament,  only  a  civil  contract,  whose 
bond  was  becoming  weaker  with  every  session  of  the  State  legis¬ 
latures;  and  its  celebration  too  often  lacked  even  the  dignity  which 
attends  a  transfer  of  real  estate.  The  Catholics  of  weaker  faith 
had  begun  to  imitate  the  carelessness  of  their  neighbors  in  marry¬ 
ing,  and  various  statutes  were  directed  against  them.  It  was 
decreed  that  the  betrothed  parties  should  at  least  go  to  confession 
before  marriage,  and  the  clergy  were  ordered  to  see  that  their 
preparation  for  an  important  act  and  a  holy  and  responsible  state 
of  life  should  be  careful  and  exact.  The  banns  were  to  be  pro¬ 
claimed  according  to  custom  three  times,  but  the  pastor  was  allowed 
the  privilege  of  dispensing  for  cause  from  one  proclamation.  The 
ceremony  was  to  be  held,  wherever  possible,  in  the  church,  and 
in  connection  with  the  solemnity  of  the  Mass.  Marriage  before 
a  minister  excommunicated  the  guilty  parties,  and  the  case  was 
reserved  to  the  bishop.  The  clergy  were  urged  to  warn  the  people 
against  the  evil  results  of  marriages  with  non-Catholics,  which 
were  for  the  most  part  fatal  to  the  Catholic  faith  of  their  children 
and  descendants.  Where  it  was  impossible  to  hinder  them,  a 
dispensation  was  to  be  obtained,  and  the  non-Catholic  party  was 
to  permit  the  free  exercise  of  religion  to  the  Catholic  party,  and  the 
bringing  up  of  the  children  in  the  Catholic  faith.  The  marriage 
ceremony  had  to  be  celebrated  outside  the  church,  with  the  sim¬ 
plest  rites  and  without  the  usual  sacerdotal  vestments.  Whenever 
the  parties  went  first  to  be  married  by  a  minister,  or  when  the 
priest  reasonably  suspected  that  they  were  to  visit  a  minister  after 
the  Catholic  ceremony,  the  priest  should  decline  to  officiate.  The 


370  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


aim  of  this  legislation  was  to  discourage  the  mixed  marriage  by 
attaching  to  it  a  kind  of  odium;  but  it  failed  of  its  aim  generally, 
through  the  peculiar  conditions.  The  proclamation  of  the  banns 
was  more  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance.  The 
other  statutes  had  a  fine  effect  in  making  the  preparation  for  the 
sacrament  and  its  actual  reception  a  truly  religious  ceremony, 
and  in  differentiating  it  from  the  careless  civic  ceremony  of  the 
world. 

Under  the  head  of  Divine  Worship  the  synod  ordered  the  care¬ 
ful  celebration  of  the  public  liturgy  of  the  Church,  with  all  the 
elegance  possible,  and  a  regular  explanation  of  the  liturgy  to  the 
people,  whose  faith  and  piety  it  was  intended  to  increase;  in  par¬ 
ticular  the  Mass  was  to  be  offered  with  due  attention  to  its  dignity 
and  solemnity,  not  merely  on  Sundays,  but  on  other  feasts,  even 
if  the  attendance  was  not  large.  It  was  forbidden  to  say  Mass 
on  Christmas  Day  earlier  than  four  o’clock  of  the  morning.  By 
a  decree  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites,  dated  July  23, 
1868,  it  was  permitted  to  give  communion  during  a  requiem  Mass; 
and  for  reasonable  cause  to  do  the  same  before  or  after  a  requiem 
Mass,  omitting  the  usual  benediction.  The  devotion  of  the  Forty 
Hours  had  become  popular  in  the  diocese,  and  the  Synod  recom¬ 
mended  it  to  the  clergy  for  general  diffusion  among  the  churches. 
The  eighth  of  December  was  announced  as  a  holyday  of  obliga¬ 
tion,  by  a  decree  of  the  Pope,  Pius  IX,  issued  January  24,  1868, 
in  honor  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  the  feast  became  the  patronal  feast  of  the  United  States.  As 
a  consequence  of  these  decrees  the  celebration  of  the  liturgy  took 
on  almost  immediately  increasing  splendor,  which  has  not  ceased 
to  develop  up  to  this  day;  the  Forty  Hours  as  a  popular  devotion 
spread  all  over  the  diocese  for  many  years  and  then  waned  some¬ 
what;  midnight  Mass  on  Christmas  Day  became  very  popular. 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


371 


but  had  soon  to  be  abolished,  owing  to  the  abuses  that  threatened 
to  grow  about  a  midnight  ceremony;  and  the  eighth  of  December 
became  a  popular  celebration. 

The  Synod  gave  considerable  attention  to  the  rights  and 
privileges  and  duties  of  pastors  of  parishes.  It  was  decreed  that 
no  other  priest,  even  his  assistant,  had  aught  to  do  with  the  ad¬ 
ministration  of  a  parish  except  the  pastor;  therefore  none  could 
marry  or  baptize  within  the  limits  of  his  parish  without  his  per¬ 
mission,  or  the  permission  of  the  bishop,  or  perform  the  same 
ceremonies  for  his  parishioners;  the  case  excepted  where  a  person 
residing  outside  a  parish  rented  a  pew  in  said  parish,  when  he  was 
allowed  to  receive  the  ministrations  of  the  priests  of  that  parish. 
The  pastors  were  ordered  to  announce  fast  days  and  holy  days  of 
obligation  from  the  pulpit  the  preceding  Sunday;  they  were  for¬ 
bidden  to  be  absent  from  their  parishes  on  Sundays  and  feast 
days  without  the  permission  of  the  bishop,  or  at  least  notification 
if  time  were  lacking  for  permission;  and  they  were  forbidden  ever 
to  denounce  people  by  name  from  the  pulpit,  or  to  call  maledic¬ 
tions  upon  them,  or  to  announce  or  threaten  penalties  against 
them,  —  lapses  of  decorum  which  the  less  prudent  among  the  clergy 
often  permitted  themselves.  Visiting  priests  were  forbidden  to 
exercise  common  faculties  without  special  permission  of  the  bishop; 
but  pastors  were  allowed  to  grant  the  faculty  of  saying  Mass  and 
preaching  to  their  friends  from  other  dioceses  of  the  province  or 
from  Canada,  if  the  bishop  could  not  be  easily  reached.  Funerals 
were  no  longer  to  be  held  in  private  houses,  if  the  church  were 
convenient,  and  only  the  Latin  tongue  was  to  be  used  in  the  last 
prayers  over  the  dead.  The  custom  of  pronouncing  funeral 
orations  was  discouraged,  unless  the  occasion  promised  singular 
usefulness  to  the  faith  from  the  discourse.  Without  a  written 
permission  from  the  pastor,  no  one  was  to  be  buried  in  the  ceme- 


372  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


teries,  and  that  permission  was  not  to  be  granted  to  those  public 
sinners  who  had  died  without  the  sacraments. 

No  less  than  eight  severely  worded  decrees  were  devoted  to 
the  material  administration  of  parishes.  The  canons  of  the 
Church,  declared  the  Synod,  forbid  anyone  building  a  church 
without  the  permission  and  authority  of  the  bishop  in  whose 
territory  it  is  to  be  erected;  therefore  it  is  unlawful  for  any  person 
to  build  a  new  church,  or  enlarge  or  change  existing  churches, 
without  consulting  the  bishop.  The  clergy  were  seriously  warned 
against  contracting  debts  on  the  church  property,  and  urged  to 
get  rid  of  actual  debt  as  soon  as  possible;  they  were  forbidden 
to  hold  church  property  in  their  own  name,  but  were  ordered  to 
transfer  it  at  once  to  the  bishop  or  to  the  Church  corporation. 
The  parish  registers  were  to  consist  of  the  records  of  the  baptized, 
the  confirmed,  the  married,  and  the  dead;  also  an  inventory  of 
the  church  property  was  to  be  kept,  a  history  of  the  parish  con¬ 
tinued  from  year  to  year,  and  the  usual  commercial  books  record¬ 
ing  the  receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  parish.  The  lay  trustees 
were  ordered  to  confine  themselves  strictly  to  the  duties  required 
of  them  by  the  laws  of  incorporation,  and  to  refrain  from  all  other 
interference.  It  was  forbidden  to  collect  money  at  the  doors  of 
the  church  on  the  Sundays  and  days  of  precept;  picnics  and  ex¬ 
cursions  were  forbidden  as  a  means  of  raising  revenue  for  the 
churches;  pastors  were  ordered  to  submit  a  careful  account  of 
their  financial  condition  yearly  to  the  chancery  office;  the  clergy 
in  general  were  urged  to  establish  a  mutual  aid  society  for  their 
own  care  in  sickness  or  age;  and  a  theological  conference  was 
established  to  meet  at  least  twice  a  year  for  the  intellectual  stimu¬ 
lus  and  benefit  of  the  clergy.  All  these  decrees  exactly  fitted  the 
conditions  which  they  were  intended  to  meet,  and  they  have 
flourished  until  this  date,  with  great  benefit  to  the  material  ad- 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


373 


ministration.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  book  of  the  confirmed,  the 
history  of  the  parish,  and  the  inventory  of  property,  are  kept 
generally;  the  door  collections  have  become  popular  again;  but 
the  other  decrees  remain  in  force. 

Finally,  under  the  last  head,  the  work  of  salvation,  the  Synod 
reminded  the  clergy  of  their  obligation  to  lead  the  apostolic  life, 
to  keep  themselves  holy,  to  avoid  the  lightest  faults,  and  to  en¬ 
courage  their  people  by  example  as  well  as  by  preaching;  in  dress 
to  avoid  display  and  luxury,  in  speech  to  avoid  the  trifling  and  the 
unbecoming,  in  action  to  appear  worthy  of  their  high  calling  and 
the  confidence  reposed  in  them;  and  since  the  highest  honor  and 
glory  of  the  Church  were  to  be  found  in  the  chaste  and  upright 
lives  of  the  clergy,  all  should  labor  to  preserve  that  glory  in  its 
pristine  splendor.  They  were  urged  to  devote  themselves  to  the 
work  of  instructing  the  children  in  the  doctrines  of  Christ,  and  to 
prepare  them  well  for  the  reception  of  the  sacraments;  and  for 
the  adult  population  was  recommended  specially  the  exercise  of 
the  mission  every  three  or  four  years,  as  a  potent  means  of  reviv¬ 
ing  their  religious  spirit.  A  paragraph  was  given  to  secret  societies, 
whose  Catholic  members  were  warned  that  they  would  be  denied 
the  sacraments  and  Christian  burial  should  they  die  as  members 
of  forbidden  organizations;  and  another  was  given  to  the  praise 
of  the  Catholic  press,  in  particular  to  Father  Hecker’s  Catholic 
Publication  Society,  which  had  been  highly  praised  and  recom¬ 
mended  to  the  Catholic  body  by  the  Second  Plenary  Council. 

The  Fourth  Synod  was  held  in  New  York  on  November  8  and 
9  of  the  year  1882,  and  a  few  decrees  were  passed  touching  on 
church  administration  and  divine  worship.  They  were  included 
in  the  decrees  of  the  Fifth  Synod  held  a  few  years  later,  and  therefore 
were  not  printed  in  the  collection  of  synodal  decrees  issued  in 
1901,  by  the  Cathedral  Publication  Company.  The  officers  of  the 


374  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Fourth  Synod,  over  which  Cardinal  McCloskey  presided,  were 
Monsignori  William  Quinn  and  Thomas  Preston,  promoters, 
Revs.  William  H.  Clowry  and  Frederic  G.  Wayrich,  procurators 
of  the  clergy,  Rev.  John  M.  Farley,  secretary,  Rev.  Patrick  F. 
McSweeny,  notary,  Rev.  Charles  E.  McDonnell,  master  of  cere¬ 
monies,  and  Revs.  John  J.  Riordan  and  Anthony  Lammel,  chanters. 

The  legislation  of  the  Third  Synod,  which  embraced  what 
was  useful  in  the  preceding  synods  and  promulgated  the  decrees 
of  the  Second  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  governed  the  diocese 
for  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  It  was  the  ambition  of  Cardinal 
McCloskey  to  hold  a  provincial  Council,  and  to  leave  behind  him 
a  splendid  example  of  provincial  legislation.  The  approach  of 
the  Vatican  Council  delayed  the  matter;  the  increase  of  work 
in  the  fast-growing  diocese,  the  building  of  the  new  cathedral, 
and  his  own  delicate  health,  delayed  it  still  more;  and  it  was  only 
in  the  autumn  of  1883  that  all  obstacles  were  finally  removed, 
and  the  bishops  gathered  for  the  event.  The  Cardinal  deeply 
appreciated  the  opportunity,  as  his  letter  of  convocation  indicated. 
Held  in  his  old  age,  it  was  to  be  the  crown  of  his  ministry;  while 
not  absolutely  necessary,  it  could  not  but  be  useful ;  although  the 
Church  prospered  and  the  faithful  increased,  while  temples  and 
schools  and  convents  seemed  to  leap  from  the  fruitful  earth,  yet 
errors  abounded  and  immorality  threatened  the  spiritual  health 
of  the  people;  therefore  it  was  necessary  for  the  leaders  to  gather 
in  Synod,  for  these  institutions,  on  the  authority  of  Benedict  XIV, 
were  deservedly  called  the  support  of  the  faith,  the  health  of  the 
Church,  the  terror  of  its  enemies,  the  consolation  of  pastors,  the 
medicine  of  the  people;  thus  His  Eminence  wrote  to  his  brother 
bishops. 

The  gathering  was  noble  and  notable,  and  its  session,  occu¬ 
pying  the  last  week  of  September,  made  a  profound  impression 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


375 


in  the  metropolis.  The  pastoral  letter  sent  out  to  the  people  at 
the  close  of  the  Council,  of  which  an  account  has  already  been 
given,  deepened  that  impression  by  its  dignified  and  measured 
statement  of  what  had  been  accomplished  with  the  reasons  for 
the  same.  The  decrees  themselves,  their  scope  and  their  spirit, 
had  the  beauty  and  power  of  the  great  Church,  ancient  and  yet 
ever  new,  and  were  truly  a  noble  monument,  as  Archbishop  Cor¬ 
rigan  expressed  it  in  his  letter  of  promulgation,  to  the  wise  and 
saintly  prelate  under  whose  care  and  patronage  they  had  been 
enacted.  The  clear,  calm  utterance  of  the  old  Church  in  the  new 
land,  expressed  in  stately  and  sonorous  Latin,  repeating  the  great 
truths  of  the  past  with  fervor,  and  rebuking  the  errors  of  the 
present  with  firmness,  broke  upon  the  confusion  of  the  time  like 
the  solemn  notes  of  a  great  bell,  hoary  and  sweet  with  the  ages. 
The  American  people  felt  it  keenly.  The  apprehensions  of  half 
a  century  had  been  justified.  In  that  year  of  1883  it  was  evident 
to  all  that  the  Christian  principle  no  longer  commanded  the  re¬ 
spect  of  the  multitude,  and  that  error  had  taken  the  place  of  truth 
boldly.  Like  all  usurpers  it  called  itself  Truth,  and  covered  the 
deposed  monarch  with  ridicule.  With  confusion  its  supporters 
read  the  solemn  condemnations  uttered  by  the  Council  in  the 
American  metropolis. 

In  the  very  first  decree  the  Fathers,  echoing  the  Councils  of 
Trent  and  the  Vatican,  proclaimed  the  everlasting  truths:  that 
God  had  created  all  things  out  of  nothing;  that  He,  the  principle 
and  end  of  all  things,  could  certainly  be  known  by  the  natural 
light  of  human  reason;  that  it  had  pleased  Him  to  reveal  Himself 
and  His  eternal  decrees  by  another  and  a  supernatural  way  to  the 
human  race,  and  that  this  supernatural  revelation  was  contained 
in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  and  in  tradition;  that  the  traditions  had 
been  received  from  Christ  Himself  by  the  Apostles,  or  had  come 


376  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


to  us  from  the  Apostles  at  the  bidding  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and 
that  the  Sacred  Scriptures  had  God  Himself  for  their  author,  in 
the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  the  second  decree  the 
Fathers  announced  with  filial  joy  the  dogma  of  Papal  Infallibility, 
proclaimed  in  the  fourth  session  of  the  Vatican  Council.  The 
old  doctrines  were  become  offensive  and  superstitious  to  the 
literary  circles  of  America,  but  Infallibility  was  more  than  offen¬ 
sive,  it  was  insulting  and  absurd.  It  had  caused  a  great  out¬ 
cry  on  its  promulgation,  both  from  the  wits  and  the  philosophers. 
What  a  spectacle  for  the  Republic,  these  learned  bishops,  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  temper  of  their  times,  calmly  reiterating  ridicu¬ 
lous  doctrines! 

In  the  third  decree  the  Fathers  administered  their  rebuke 
to  the  abetters  of  ancient  and  modern  forms  of  error  in  the  fine, 
vigorous  language  of  the  Church.  We  detest  and  anathematize 
all  the  heresies  condemned  of  old  by  the  Church,  but  in  partic¬ 
ular  the  false  doctrines  or  negations  which  flourish  in  our  own 
time  and  eat  like  a  cancer  into  society,  such  as  Agnosticism  which 
denies  reason  itself;  Materialism,  which  destroys  the  spiritual 
nature;  Naturalism  and  Rationalism,  which  would  do  away  with 
Holy  Scripture  and  supernatural  revelation;  and  Socialism  and 
Communism,  the  twin  monsters  threatening  the  social  order  of 
mankind.  Against  the  two  last-named  errors  the  Fathers  quoted 
from  Leo  XIII’s  lofty  denunciation  in  his  encyclical,  Quod  Apos- 
tolici  Muneris.  The  fourth  decree  attacked  the  absurd  philoso¬ 
phy  of  our  time  with  spirit.  These  and  other  like  errors,  said 
the  Fathers,  have  their  source  in  the  inane  philosophy  which  pre¬ 
tends  to  restore  to  human  reason  all  its  rights  and  at  the  same 
moment  denies  its  capacity  to  know  or  to  reach  a  supersensible 
existence.  The  result  of  its  teachings  is  scepticism,  or  indiffer- 
entism,  or  atheism.  It  must  be  met  with  a  true  philosophy, 


CHURCH  LEGISLATION 


377 


that  taught  by  the  great  doctors  of  the  Church,  and  in  particular 
by  St.  Thomas  Aquinas.  The  fifth  decree  uttered  an  emphatic 
protest  against  the  occupation  of  Rome  by  the  Italians,  which  it 
called  an  audacious  usurpation.  The  sixth  decree  declared  the 
Catholic  doctrine  on  the  civil  power,  and  at  the  same  time  con¬ 
demned  the  political  heresies  of  the  period  as  to  the  source  of 
civil  power.  From  God  comes  the  right  to  rule,  said  the  Fathers, 
and  therefore  the  contention  of  anarchists  and  others,  that  all 
power  is  from  the  people  and  returns  to  them  at  their  pleasure, 
can  never  be  admitted;  and  while  rulers  may,  as  in  this  Republic, 
be  elected  by  the  will  and  vote  of  the  multitude,  and  the  chief 
power  may  be  exercised  by  many  as  by  one,  it  is  nevertheless  an 
unshaken  truth  that  civil  power  comes  from  God,  and  is  exercised 
by  His  authority.  Therefore,  the  people  were  warned  to  keep 
away  from  all  forms  of  socialism  and  anarchism,  and  to  show 
themselves  strong  supporters  of  the  civil  order  and  the  great 
Republic,  whose  stability,  peace,  and  prosperity  should  be  the 
concern  of  all  true  Catholics. 

After  this  impressive  beginning,  the  Council  formulated  fifteen 
other  sections  of  laws,  taking  in  the  whole  life  of  the  bishops, 
clergy,  and  people,  and  giving  to  it  that  regulation  and  order  which 
in  the  years  succeeding  have  earned  for  the  Catholic  body  so  much 
praise.  It  may  be  said  to  have  closed  and  rounded  up  the  period 
which  began  with  Archbishop  Hughes.  It  gave  the  finishing 
touch  to  the  great  structure  whose  foundations  that  great  prelate 
had  laid.  The  rough  places  were  all  smoothed  away.  The 
clergy  and  people  had  fixed  seats,  customs,  and  traditions,  and  the 
missionary  period  had  come  to  an  end.  The  Council  had  its 
proper  effect  on  the  faithful,  although  they,  accustomed  to  accept 
everything  obediently,  did  not  lay  upon  the  event  the  emphasis, 
or  attach  to  it  the  importance,  which  it»  actually  deserved.  The 


378  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


world  outside  was  far  more  impressed.  The  general  public  un¬ 
derstood  only  that  the  Catholic  Church  had  a  footing  in  America, 
a  splendid  place  as  evidenced  by  the  sublime  cathedral  and  by 
the  noble  Council. 

But  the  students  of  conditions,  the  fluent  advocates  of  the 
popular  heresies,  the  wise  upholders  of  some  kind  of  Christianity, 
the  anxious  statesmen  aware  of  the  threatening  dangers,  the 
commercial  leaders  in  charge  of  the  public  treasuries,  the  literary 
cliques  born  of  a  watery  agnosticism,  knew  that  a  most  serious 
event  had  occurred;  not  merely  that  the  Catholic  Church  once 
more  showed  her  power,  but  also  splendidly  and  with  authority; 
and  against  all  enemies,  whether  they  threatened  the  Republic, 
or  the  Church,  or  the  Truth;  without  bitterness,  but  also  without 
fear,  —  the  strongest  utterance  of  Christianity  against  error  that 
had  ever  been  spoken  in  New  York.  The  Council  closed  one 
period  and  opened  another,  —  the  era  of  popularity  for  the  long- 
despised  Catholic  Church. 


Manhattan  College 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


A  GREAT  change  took  place  in 
Catholic  conditions  between 
the  end  of  the  Civil  War  and  the 
close  of  Archbishop  McCloskey’s 
administration;  but  with  regard  to 
the  Holy  See  no  change  occurred 
except  a  deepening  of  knowledge 
and  sympathy  on  the  part  of  the 
Catholic  body  in  New  York.  Arch¬ 
bishop  Hughes  had  roused  their  de¬ 
votion  to  a  high  pitch  by  his  in¬ 
structions  on  the  Papacy,  his  defence 
of  its  prerogatives  against  the  Ga- 
vazzi  mob,  his  direct  intercourse  with  the  Pope,  faithfully  de¬ 
scribed  for  his  people.  That  devotion  continued,  childlike  and 
simple,  without  distortion  or  prejudice  or  condition,  for  many 
decades  afterwards.  Very  few  American  Catholics  knew  or  cared 
anything  about  the  European  squabble  over  the  Papacy,  or  about 
the  distinctions  known  as  Ultramontanism  and  Vaticanism,  and 
the  sources  from  which  these  distinctions  were  derived.  Editor 
McMaster  seemed  to  know  a  little  on  these  subjects  and  the  great 
personages  connected  with  them,  and  his  loud  denunciations  of 
critics  and  criticism  of  the  Pope  were  the  most  popular  features 
of  his  erratic  journal.  It  was  enough  for  the  Catholic  body  that 
American  Protestants  berated  the  Pope  and  detested  Ultramon- 
tanes  and  Vaticanists;  the  faithful  at  once  became  ardent  sup- 

(379) 


380  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


porters  of  the  Ultramontane  and  the  Vatican  movements  without 
precisely  knowing  their  character,  or  being  sure  of  their  existence. 

They  saw  only  their  leader  beset  by  the  enemy;  they  themselves 
were  not  far  removed  from  persecution;  they  felt  keenly  the  need 
of  the  chief;  and  they  were  proud  of  his  power,  his  persistence, 
his  ability  to  live  when  all  other  rulers  fled  from  revolution  or 
trembled  on  their  thrones.  His  passing  misfortunes  were  used 
as  arguments  against  the  Catholic  principle;  his  persistency  in 
Europe  through  all  calamities  was  the  counter-argument  of  the 
Catholics.  They  were  mortified  at  the  steady  refusal  of  the 
American  Government  to  accept  a  diplomatic  representative 
from  the  Pope,  while  maintaining  in  Rome  an  American  embassy. 
Under  Minister  Cass  the  embassy  had  been  of  service  to  the 
Irish  College  in  Rome  during  the  brief  life  of  the  Roman  Re¬ 
public  from  1846  to  1848;  in  the  confiscating  fever  peculiar  to 
mushroom  institutions  the  Republic  had  seized  all  the  property 
possible,  and  had  threatened  the  Irish  College;  its  head,  Dr. 
Cullen,  on  the  ground  of  teaching  American  students,  asked 
Minister  Cass  to  protect  the  property  from  the  plundering  au¬ 
thorities;  his  intervention  was  successful,  and  the  college  was 
exempted  from  seizure,  chiefly  for  the  reason  that  American 
war-ships  near  by  had  engaged  to  give  shelter  to  the  adventurers 
the  moment  they  were  thrown  out  of  Rome  by  the  lawful  rulers 
returning.  The  embassy  was  abolished  while  General  Rufus 
King  was  minister  in  1867,  and  never  restored. 

The  result  of  the  Civil  War  had  astonished  European  diplo¬ 
macy  and  brought  the  American  Republic  to  the  serious  attention 
of  the  scheming  rulers.  The  information  and  warnings  of  Arch¬ 
bishop  Hughes  in  his  visits  to  Europe  were  recalled  vividly  in  the 
light  of  Lincoln’s  success.  Pope  Pius  IX,  practically  deserted 
by  the  Catholic  monarchs  of  Europe,  turned  his  mind  to  America, 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


381 


which  had  already  astonished  him  by  its  simple  and  sincere  devo¬ 
tion,  its  munificent  gifts,  its  outspoken  affection,  voiced  in  the  pas¬ 
toral  of  New  York’s  second  Provincial  Council  in  1860,  and  sums 
of  money  for  his  periods  of  distress.  A  papal  loan  was  planned 
by  the  Vatican  financiers  in  1866,  and  the  sum  of  $2,000,000 
was  apportioned  to  the  United  States,  in  charge  of  the  banking- 
house  of  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co.  It  was  not  a  success,  al¬ 
though  Archbishop  McCloskey  and  his  vicar-general  interested 
themselves  to  make  it  so.  Public  opinion  was  too  hostile  to  the 
Pope  and  too  favorable  to  Italy;  the  moneyed  men  were  certain 
that  the  Pope’s  career  had  come  to  an  end;  and  the  Catholics 
were  too  poor  to  take  it  up  themselves.  Within  a  year  it  was 
withdrawn.  The  faithful  made  up  for  this  drawback  by  their 
hearty  celebration  of  the  sacerdotal  jubilee  of  Pius  IX,  in  the 
year  1869,  when  large  sums  of  money  were  sent  to  him  to  help 
him  against  the  attacks  of  Victor  Emmanuel  and  his  Garibaldian 
freebooters,  paid  by  England.  The  sympathizers  with  united  Italy 
held  public  meetings  to  encourage  the  Italians;  the  Catholics 
also  held  meetings  in  support  of  the  Temporal  Power,  at  which 
their  best  and  most  distinguished  speakers  denounced  Garibaldi, 
Cavour,  Mazzini,  and  Victor  Emmanuel  in  scathing  terms.  Gen¬ 
eral  John  A.  Dix  presided  at  one  of  the  Italian  meetings,  and 
Governor  Lowe  of  Maryland  at  a  Catholic  meeting  in  Cooper 
Institute. 

The  enormous  stealings  of  the  Revolution  were  described  in 
detail,  such  as  the  confiscation  in  thirty  years  by  Cavour  and 
others,  of  18,000  Catholic  institutions,  endowed  and  otherwise, 
estimated  as  worth  $225,000,000,  up  to  the  year  1875.  The  utter 
indifference  of  the  Catholic  monarchs  of  Europe  to  the  incursions 
of  Garibaldi  into  papal  territory  deeply  irritated  the  Catholic 
people  of  the  world.  Had  Pius  IX  been  a  military  Pope  he  could 


382  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


easily  have  summoned  a  crusade  from  Catholic  countries,  which 
neither  diplomacy  nor  armies  could  have  suppressed.  In  the 
province  of  Quebec,  a  company  of  papal  volunteers  was  organized 
to  fight  for  the  Pope,  and  amid  great  enthusiasm  they  left  Mont¬ 
real  to  take  steamer  in  New  York  for  Rome.  They  numbered 
about  one  hundred  and  forty,  and  arrived  in  New  York  City  in 
January  of  1867.  The  College  authorities  of  St.  Francis  Xavier 
entertained  them  during  their  short  stay,  visitors  of  prominence 
witnessed  their  drilling  exercises,  and  they  were  hailed  as  heroes 
and  future  martyrs.  On  Sunday  they  attended  Mass  and  went 
to  Communion  at  St.  Peter’s  in  Barclay  Street,  where  Archbishop 
McCloskey  addressed  them  with  words  of  felicitation  and  advice. 
After  they  had  sailed,  a  fever  took  possession  of  the  young  men 
to  fight  for  the  Pope,  and  numbers  sailed  away  on  their  own  ac¬ 
count  to  Rome.  Editor  McMaster  undertook  to  find  means  and 
men  for  an  American  contingent  of  papal  soldiers;  the  welkin  rang 
with  his  fiery  appeals,  his  denunciations  of  the  supine  leaders, 
his  grief  that  Quebec  should  have  outdone  in  generosity  and 
courage  the  great  Republic;  the  younger  veterans  of  the  late  war 
began  to  respond  to  this  clamorous  excitation;  and  in  particular 
the  collegians  felt  the  impulse  to  the  Holy  War.  Mr.  Thomas 
Worthington  Watts,  a  youth  of  blood  and  standing,  left  Seton 
Hall  impressively  for  Rome;  Christopher  Lerche  went  from  St. 
Francis  Xavier’s  College  to  become  a  papal  soldier;  others  more  or 
less  known  followed  their  example.  Undoubtedly  the  rush  would 
have  become  important  but  for  the  restraining  influence  of  lack 
of  funds.  The  volunteers  had  to  pay  their  own  expenses. 

A  young  officer  in  the  papal  army,  General  Charles  Carroll 
Tevis,  wrote  stirring  letters  to  the  Freeman  s  Journal  in  behalf 
of  the  cause,  and  was  finally  commissioned  to  visit  his  native  land 
and  collect  funds  and  men.  At  this  point,  however,  tl\e  Church 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


383 


authorities  found  it  convenient  to  interfere.  Not  relishing  the 
prospect  of  another  anti-Catholic  tempest,  which  recruiting  would 
be  certain  to  arouse,  and  aware  that  the  Federal  Government 
would  be  called  upon  to  interfere,  the  Archbishops  had  a  meet¬ 
ing  and  sent  out  a  declaration  against  further  recruiting.  Editor 
McMaster  wrathfully  subsided,  General  Tevis  quietly  vanished, 
while  the  faithful  made  up  in  the  subscriptions  for  the  Pope’s 
Jubilee  in  1869,  for  any  lack  of  devotion  in  the  matter  of  army 
supplies.  Catholic  feeling  was  keen  and  sensitive  on  the  question 
of  the  Temporal  Power.  American  Protestants  had  taken  up 
the  cause  of  Italian  unity,  not  from  any  sympathy  with  Italians 
or  their  freedom,  but  because  to  Americans  that  unity  seemed  to 
threaten  the  destruction  of  the  Papacy.  Catholics  were  daily 
insulted  with  the  popular  joy  at  the  approaching  downfall  of  the 
Pope,  and,  by  consequence,  of  the  Church;  and  they  were  suffi¬ 
ciently  wrought  up  to  have  hurled  a  hundred  thousand  men  into 
Italy,  had  there  been  leaders,  money,  ships,  and  a  fighting  chance 
to  land  such  an  army.  It  was  no  light  task  to  check  the  expres¬ 
sion  given  to  this  feeling  by  Editor  McMaster.  Dr.  McCloskey 
gave  the  movement  its  quietus  gently,  but  openly  and  effectively. 
Many  thought  him  a  timid  man,  and  over-cautious  from  ambition; 
but  this  occasion  and  many  others  proved  his  courage  and  his 
disregard  of  future  consequences  to  himself.  He  was  rather  a 
quiet  man,  far-seeing  and  prudent,  who  preferred  to  rule  effi¬ 
ciently  than  splendidly  and  noisily. 

Individuals  could  do  what  they  pleased  to  assist  the  Pope. 
An  association  was  afterwards  formed  with  the  title  of  St. 
Michael,  to  look  after  the  American  soldiers  fighting  for  the  Pon¬ 
tiff.  For  many  years  it  did  good  service  for  wounded,  enfeebled, 
and  distressed  veterans.  The  question  of  the  Temporal  Power 
became  a  secondary  affair  when  the  Vatican  Council  began  its 


384  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


sessions  in  December  of  1869.  The  European  excitement  over 
the  coming  definition  of  Infallibility  affected  America,  although 
very  few  understood  the  secret  of  the  excitement.  Public  atten¬ 
tion  was  aroused  by  the  splendor  of  the  gathering  in  Rome.  Noth¬ 
ing  like  it  had  been  seen  since  the  Council  of  Trent.  The  diplo¬ 
mats  of  the  world  trembled  at  the  spectacle,  for  no  one  could 
foretell  the  outcome.  Probably  to  minimize  its  effect  a  tremen¬ 
dous  attack  was  made  upon  the  doctrine  of  Infallibility  itself. 
The  cautious  bishops  of  the  United  States  were  eager  to  have  the 
definition  of  the  doctrine  deferred  to  a  quieter  time.  Editor 
McMaster  would  not  believe  that  Archbishop  Kenrick  of  St. 
Louis  opposed  both  definition  and  doctrine.  Archbishop  Mc- 
Closkey  accepted  the  doctrine  but  opposed  its  definition,  and  he 
was  one  of  ten  American  prelates,  who,  with  seventy  other  bishops 
of  the  council,  signed  a  protest  against  definition,  and  presented 
it  to  the  Pope. 

This  fact  was  not  made  public  until  June,  1875,  when  Arch¬ 
bishop  Purcell  of  Cincinnati,  replying  in  the  Catholic  Telegraph 
to  a  McMaster  diatribe,  gave  it  to  the  public,  adding  this  com¬ 
ment:  “And  the  fact  of  the  Pope’s  making  him  a  Cardinal,  and 
sending  the  pallium  to  the  Prince-Bishop  of  Breslau,  and  lauda¬ 
tory  letters  to  Bishop  Dupanloup,  who  also  spoke  and  wrote 
against  the  definition,  proves  that  the  bishops  had  perfect  free¬ 
dom  of  speech,  and  that  they  not  only  incurred  no  disfavor,  but 
have  been  commended  by  His  Holiness  for  their  ingenuousness, 
and  a  certain  decent  independence,  which,  if  censured  elsewhere, 
is  not  placed  under  the  ban  in  Rome.”  This  utterance  must 
have  been  a  shock  to  Editor  McMaster,  who  had  been  calling 
upon  high  heaven  to  silence  Archbishop  Purcell,  since  the  Pope 
and  his  advisers  would  not.  The  discussion  of  Infallibility  took 
up  much  space  in  the  journals  and  much  time  in  the  Protestant 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


385 


pulpits.  Tracy  Mansfield  Walworth,  a  popular  novelist  of  the 
day  and  a  convert  to  the  faith,  wrote  to  the  journals  his  abhor¬ 
rence  of  the  doctrine  and  his  refusal  to  accept  it.  The  discussion 
ended  abruptly  with  the  thunderbolt  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War; 
Victor  Emmanuel  took  possession  of  Rome  on  September  20; 
the  Pope  became  the  Prisoner  of  the  Vatican;  the  Council  was 
prorogued  indefinitely;  and  the  wise  world  declared  it  a  judgment 
on  the  Pope  that  his  temporal  kingdom  should  have  slipped  from 
his  grasp  at  the  very  moment  he  was  declaring  himself  equal  to 
God.  It  was  accepted  as  a  commonplace  of  history  in  1872  that 
the  Papacy  had  died,  after  a  long  agony  of  three  hundred  years 
from  the  day  Martin  Luther  gave  it  the  death-stroke.  How 
foolish  look  the  reasonings  of  the  wise,  ten  years  after! 

There  were  numerous  meetings  of  protest  against  the  occupa¬ 
tion  of  Rome,  and  the  greatest  was  held  in  New  York.  The 
Catholic  Union  in  1872  sent  an  address  of  sympathy  to  the  Pope, 
and  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars.  The  discussion  of  the 
restoration  of  the  Temporal  Power  took  the  first  place  in  the 
Catholic  press.  There  were  a  few  who  suggested  that  its  loss 
would  prove  an  immense  gain  to  the  Church,  but  they  were  flouted 
as  heretics;  the  Temporal  Power  with  American  Catholics  was  all 
but  a  dogma  of  the  faith.  The  Protestants  waited  a  few  years 
for  the  Pope  and  the  Church  to  vanish,  and  seemed  to  think 
better  of  it  when  Pius  IX,  more  remarkable  to  the  world  as  the 
Prisoner  of  the  Vatican  than  as  the  independent  Pontiff,  made 
Archbishop  McCloskey  a  Cardinal.  To  the  faithful  the  Pope 
endeared  himself  by  that  act  more  powerfully  than  by  any  other 
act  of  his  long  reign.  It  seemed  like  an  answer  to  the  popular 
predictions  of  papal  extinction.  The  Church  suddenly  took  pro¬ 
portions  before  the  American  people,  as  if  a  fog  had  cleared  away 
from  her  noble  outlines;  the  journals  found  the  public  so  interested 


386  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


in  the  American  Cardinal,  that  for  their  own  interests  they  devoted 
pages  to  him  and  the  Church,  and  also  to  the  Pope,  who  had 
honored  him;  and  the  proud  Catholics  loved  and  venerated  the 
more  the  aged  Pontiff.  His  death  in  1878  filled  them  with  grief 
and  anxiety.  It  was  rumored  far  and  wide  that  at  last  the  end 
had  come  to  Pope  and  Papacy.  The  rulers  had  tolerated  Pius 
IX  on  account  of  his  age  and  popularity,  had  allowed  him  to 
finish  his  long  reign,  but  had  determined  that  he  would  be  the 
last  of  these  everlasting  and  troublesome  Pontiffs,  with  their 
mediaeval  claims  to  the  homage  of  Christians. 

It  was  supposed  that  the  conclave  would  be  suppressed,  or 
its  convening  made  impossible,  or  its  members  harassed  and 
perhaps  imprisoned,  or  at  least  that  a  long  interregnum  would 
distract  the  Church.  The  press  reflected  the  popular  feeling  by 
serious  reports  in  one  column  and  ridicule  in  another.  Cardinal 
McCloskey  hastened  to  Rome  for  the  conclave,  and  was  carica¬ 
tured  in  the  journals  for  a  useless  journey.  To  the  general  aston¬ 
ishment  he  did  not  arrive  in  time  to  participate  in  the  conclave, 
which  convened  quickly  and  promptly  elected  Cardinal  Pecci 
Pope,  who  took  his  throne  as  Leo  XIII.  There  was  immense 
joy  in  America  over  this  event,  which  proved  for  the  moment  that 
the  papacy  still  lived,  still  owned  power,  though  its  temporalities 
were  in  the  Italian  treasury;  and  the  new  Pope  was  greeted  with 
enthusiasm,  while  the  disappointed  prophets  of  evil  were  ridiculed 
for  their  recent  unlucky  predictions.  Papal  prestige  increased 
immensely  under  the  fostering  rule  of  the  new  Pope,  who  became 
a  kind  of  idol  with  the  American  press,  and  was  presented  regu¬ 
larly  to  the  public  in  his  most  impressive  aspects.  The  fulmina- 
tions  of  the  great  Gladstone  and  the  revolt  of  Dr.  Dollinger  were 
received  by  Catholics  equably,  and  stirred  the  Catholic  writers 
to  vigorous  rejoinder.  The  acrimonious  discussions  in  Europe 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


387 


which  ruined  Dollinger  and  drew  forth  Gladstone’s  pamphlets, 
were:  scarcely  known  in  New  York,  except  as  Editor  McMaster 
commented  upon  them  with  fiery  unfairness  to  both  disputants. 
Catholics  had  no  partisan  ideas  and  feelings  with  regard  to  the 
Pope.  He  was  the  head  of  the  army,  and  his  slightest  wish  was 
the  law. 

A  cloud  fell  upon  this  ideal  condition  when  the  Irish  Parnell 
appeared,  and  by  his  methods  and  his  success  convinced  the 
Irish  people  that,  for  the  first  time  since  O’Connell’s  death,  they 
had  a  true  leader.  From  the  Irish  in  America  the  parliamentary 
party  drew  its  funds  in  the  fight  for  liberty,  and  considerable 
intimacy  existed  between  the  two  parties.  The  Land  League 
movement  deeply  interested  the  Irish  sympathizers  in  this  country ; 
the  great  testimonial  fund  raised  for  Parnell  had  its  contributors 
here;  and  the  No-Rent  scheme  for  bringing  the  Irish  landlords 
to  reason,  was  highly  approved  in  certain  quarters.  Dr.  McGlynn 
won  increased  fame  by  his  generous  advocacy  of  the  Land  League 
movement.  The  moral  aspects  of  these  three  measures  had  re¬ 
ceived  the  severest  criticism  from  the  Irish  prelates  opposed  to 
Parnell,  and  they  had  succeeded,  with  the  aid  of  English  diplo¬ 
macy,  in  bringing  the  moral  question  to  Rome.  As  a  consequence, 
it  began  to  be  whispered  abroad  that  the  three  movements  would 
surely  be  condemned  by  the  Pope.  In  New  York,  the  coming 
condemnation  was  regarded  as  so  certain  that  the  clergy  began 
to  look  askant  at  the  Land  League.  The  movement  had  great 
popularity,  and  its  meetings  were  often  announced  in  the  churches. 
In  one  case  the  special  preacher  of  the  day  declined  to  read  the 
announcement  along  with  the  others.  The  trouble  in  Ireland 
at  last  culminated  in  a  letter  from  Cardinal  Simeoni,  prohibiting 
the  bishops  and  priests  of  Ireland  from  any  connection  with  the 
testimonial  to  Parnell. 


388  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


The  rage  of  the  Irish  and  their  sympathizers  at  this  inter¬ 
ference  was  so  violent,  and  the  trouble  increased  with  such  rapid¬ 
ity,  that  the  Pope  had  finally  to  take  the  whole  affair  into  his  own 
hands,  summon  the  Irish  bishops  to  Rome,  and  arrive  at  a  com¬ 
promise.  A  remarkable  letter  from  Bishop  Nulty,  of  Meath, 
addressed  to  his  people  on  his  departure  for  Rome,  in  1885,  in 
which  he  distinctly  but  gently  warned  the  Pope  and  his  advisers 
that  the  situation  had  only  one  issue,  helped  to  bring  the  dispute 
to  a  fair  conclusion.  The  Land  League  held  its  own  both  in 
Ireland  and  America;  the  No-Rent  scheme  was  abandoned;  and 
the  fund  for  Parnell  was  allowed  to  continue  without  the  public 
aid  of  the  clergy.  The  charge  of  English  influence  at  the  Vatican 
was  met  by  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Walsh  to  the  vacant  See  of 
Dublin,  which  had  been  held  for  many  years  by  ecclesiastics  more 
or  less  pledged  to  hold  a  neutral  course  in  Irish  politics.  Cardinal 
Simeoni  fell  into  great  disfavor  with  the  Irish,  and  the  fact  had 
much  to  do  with  the  troubles  in  New  York  at  a  later  period.  For 
the  moment,  however,  the  cloud  disappeared,  and  the  love  and 
confidence  of  the  people  returned  in  full  measure  to  Pope  Leo, 
who  was  just  then  winning  laurels  in  his  diplomatic  struggle 
with  Bismarck. 

He  sent  a  letter  of  felicitation  to  Cardinal  McCloskey  in  1883, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  golden  jubilee  of  His  Eminence,  and  the 
Cardinal  returned  the  compliment  in  very  practical  fashion  be¬ 
fore  the  summer  had  passed.  The  Italian  government,  in  its 
long  war  upon  the  Church,  had  confiscated  church  properties  wTith 
the  voracity  of  a  brigand,  under  the  forms  of  law.  The  congre¬ 
gation  familiarly  known  as  Propaganda,  whose  sphere  embraces 
the  entire  missionary  field  of  the  Church,  fell  under  the  ban  by  a 
decision  of  the  Italian  courts  in  January  of  1884,  and  all  its  Ital¬ 
ian  property  was  ordered  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the  government 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


389 


treasury.  The  hostile  action  called  for  instant  protest,  which  was 
given  with  vehemence  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Cardinal 
McCloskey  in  a  pastoral  letter  sent  out  on  Ash-Wednesday,  1884, 
called  the  attention  of  his  people  to  the  spoliation  of  Propaganda, 
and  in  their  name  uttered  a  strong,  dignified  protest.  The  Ameri¬ 
can  College  in  Rome  was  included  in  the  decree  of  confiscation. 
The  Cardinal  therefore  made  a  direct  appeal  to  President  Arthur 
for  his  intervention  in  the  Italian  attempt  to  steal  American 
property.  Archbishop  Corrigan  carried  on  the  correspondence 
between  the  Cardinal  and  the  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Frelinghuy- 
sen.  The  Archbishop  gave  the  facts  in  the  case:  how  Pius  IX 
had  donated  the  college  property  in  perpetuity  to  the  American 
bishops;  the  bishops  had  spent  fifty  thousand  dollars  putting 
it  into  proper  condition  to  serve  as  a  college;  another  fifty 
thousand  of  American  money  had  been  spent  on  it  later;  and 
Monsignor  Doane,  of  Newark,  had  raised  for  scholarships 
the  sum  of  $150,000.  The  Archbishop  also  pointed  out  that  on 
similar  grounds  Minister  Cass  in  1848  had  rescued  the  Irish 
college  from  the  confiscators ;  and  on  grounds  of  pure  sympathy 
Mr.  Gladstone  had  interfered  to  prevent  the  confiscation  of  the 
famous  Monte  Cassino. 

President  Arthur  wasted  no  time  in  intervening  to  save  the 
American  College.  Archbishop  Corrigan’s  letter  was  sent  March 
3,  Secretary  Frelinghuysen  telegraphed  instructions  to  our  Minis¬ 
ter  at  Rome  on  March  5,  and  on  March  21,  Minister  Savelli  of 
the  Italian  Government  announced  the  exemption  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  College  from  the  fate  of  Propaganda.  There  was  general 
congratulation.  A  mass-meeting  was  held  in  Cooper  Union  on 
April  28,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Xavier  Union,  with  Judge 
Morgan  O’Brien  in  the  chair,  and  the  most  distinguished  men  of 
the  day  in  attendance;  the  speeches  of  protest  were  many  and 


390  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


vigorous,  and  their  significance  was  increased  by  the  fact  that 
many  leading  Protestants  joined  in  the  demonstration.  After 
the  opening  address  by  Judge  O’Brien,  he  moved  that  Mayor 
Franklin  Edson  become  the  chairman  of  the  meeting.  In  accept¬ 
ing  the  honor,  Mayor  Edson  briefly  reviewed  the  object  of  the 
assemblage,  congratulated  the  government  on  the  prompt  action 
which  had  saved  the  American  College,  and  concluded  with  a 
significant  paragraph:  “It  is  earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  this  un¬ 
just  proceeding  against  the  remainder  and  by  far  the  larger  portion 
of  the  property,  will  be  so  frowned  upon  and  protested  against  by 
all  civilized  nations,  that  the  world  will  be  spared  the  spectacle 
of  a  national  government  replenishing  its  treasury  through  the 
sequestration  of  property  contributed  by  all  countries  to  the  sup¬ 
port  of  an  organization  having  for  its  object  the  spread  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  throughout  the  world.” 

General  James,  who  had  been  postmaster-general,  in  a  candid 
speech  declared  that  “This  assault  disregards  the  very  principles 
of  constitutional  liberty,  which  we  hold  dear.  Remove  those 
pillars  and  the  fabric  of  society  falls.  The  spoliation  of  Propa¬ 
ganda  is,  in  fact,  equivalent  to  the  seizure  by  the  government  of  any 
of  our  educational  or  religious  institutions.”  The  Catholic  view 
of  the  spoliation  was  presented  by  Judge  Joseph  Daly  and  Mr. 
David  McClure.  William  R.  Grace  moved  a  vote  of  thanks  to 
the  Mayor  for  his  services  as  presiding  officer.  The  list  of  honor¬ 
able  vice-presidents  was  imposing,  for  it  embraced  the  names  of 
Henry  Bergh  and  Elbridge  Gerry,  Charles  Dana  and  Oswald 
Ottendorfer,  Royal  Phelps  and  Andrew  H.  Green,  William  M. 
Evarts  and  Roscoe  Conkling,  Whitelaw  Reid  and  Rev.  Morgan 
Dix,  General  Hancock  and  Samuel  J.  Tilden.  The  resolutions 
adopted  were  long  andfiery.  After  a  recital  of  the  work  of  Propa¬ 
ganda  and  the  confiscating  tendencies  of  the  Italian  government, 


RELATIONS  WITH  THE  HOLY  SEE 


391 


it  declared  that  “  We,  the  citizens  of  New  York,’  ’  pronounce  the 
action  of  the  Italian  ministry  unjustifiable,  with  many  paragraphs 
of  the  same  tenor  following.  Whether  the  incident  had  any 
effect  on  the  Italian  Ministry  does  not  matter;  the  present  value 
of  it  is  its  illustration  of  feeling  in  New  York  towards  the  Catholic 
body.  A  notable  change  had  occurred  in  the  two  decades  after 
the  Civil  War. 

The  relations  between  the  people  and  the  Holy  See  thus  re¬ 
mained  to  the  end  of  the  Cardinal’s  administration  untroubled, 
simply  loyal,  devoted,  with  no  discussion  of  vexed  questions,  no 
hair-splitting,  as  in  Europe.  The  few  voices  that  disputed  the 
need  or  value  of  the  Temporal  Power,  or  questioned  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  the  Pope’s  independence,  were  heard  only  with  horror  and 
shame.  Whatever  the  Holy  Father  desired  was  to  be  his  without 
question;  even  in  the  Irish  troubles  the  people  awaited  with  silent 
resignation  the  moment  when  misunderstandings  would  pass; 
and  they  did  pass  quickly,  leaving  no  shadow  behind.  The  suc¬ 
cess  of  Leo  XIII,  in  carrying  out  measures  of  reform  and  in  win¬ 
ning  diplomatic  triumphs,  endeared  him  still  more  to  Americans; 
and  as  the  American  journals  made  much  of  him,  the  Pontiff’s 
popularity  reflected  upon  his  people. 


St.  Bridget’s 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 

rHE  glory  of  Catholic  literature 
and  journalism  for  half  this 
period  was  Orestes  Brownson.  His 
famous  Review  had  closed  its  brilliant 
career  in  the  autumn  of  1864,  just 
as  Dr.  McCloskey  had  taken  posses¬ 
sion  of  the  See  of  New  York.  Brown- 
son  did  not  get  along  well  with 
Archbishop  Hughes,  although  both 
were  staunch  defenders  of  the  Union 
and  of  the  Lincoln  Government. 
While  admitting  each  other’s  great 
qualities  and  services,  Dr.  Hughes  publicly  rebuked  Brownson 
at  a  Fordham  commencement,  in  1861,  for  his  Americanizing 
tendencies,  and  Brownson  described  the  prelate  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend  as  a  man  without  high  regard  for  veracity.  The  domi¬ 
neering  spirit  was  strong  in  Hughes,  and  the  spirit  of  independ¬ 
ence  in  Brownson.  He  offended  one  section  of  the  Irish  by  his 
protests  against  Irishizing  the  faith  for  Americans,  and  blamed 
them  for  being  unfavorable  to  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves; 
he  took  his  Review  into  the  politics  of  the  period,  fell  in  with  the 
unpopular  side,  and  finally  thought  it  safer  for  his  reputation  to 
get  away  from  reviewing  altogether.  He  devoted  the  remainder 
of  his  life  to  the  work  of  contributing  to  such  periodicals  as  the 
Catholic  World,  the  Tablet  and  the  Ave  Maria;  he  gave  some 
time  to  lecturing  about  the  country;  and  as  he  lived  not  far 

(392) 


St.  Patrick’s  Cathedral 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 


393 


from  Seton  Hall  College,  Bishop  Corrigan,  of  Newark,  engaged 
him  to  lecture  for  its  students. 

Ilis  friends  had  sufficient  spirit  to  guard  his  retirement  against 
absolute  want.  An  annuity  which  guaranteed  him  one  thousand 
dollars  for  the  rest  of  his  life  was  secured  for  him,  and  the  presenta¬ 
tion  of  it  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  significant  ceremony  at  the 
house  of  Rev.  Jeremiah  Cummings,  the  pastor  of  St.  Stephen’s, 
in  September,  1865.  Dr.  Cummings  was  a  man  of  independent 
spirit  and  of  imperious  temper,  and  had  held  his  own  against  the 
great  Dr.  Hughes;  he  had  also  championed  the  cause  of  Brownson 
at  Rome,  with  Cardinal  Barnabo  and  Cardinal  Franzelin,  and  had 
won  for  his  client  the  favor  of  these  two  great  men.  In  his  address 
to  Brownson  on  this  occasion,  he  informed  him  that  the  presenta¬ 
tion  was  made  on  behalf  of  many  bishops,  priests  and  laymen, 
and  of  some  Protestants,  also,  who  wished  to  show  their  respect 
for  the  honesty  of  his  character,  his  fearless  defence  of  what  he 
held  to  be  the  true  interests  of  religion,  and  his  unselfishness; 
that  they  did  not  wish  the  gift  to  express  approval  of  all  that  he 
had  spoken  and  written,  because  his  best  friends  were  forced  to 
condemn  some  of  his  utterances;  but  neither  did  they  wish  the 
gift  to  restrain  him  in  the  free  and  candid  expression  of  his  con¬ 
victions;  it  was  a  testimonial  in  acknowledgment  of  the  extraor¬ 
dinary  services  which  he  had  rendered  to  religion,  science  and 
literature,  and  was  presented  with  the  hope  that  he  would  live 
long  to  enjoy  it.  This  plain  speech  Brownson  replied  to  by  ad¬ 
mitting  that  the  opposition  he  had  met  with  was  in  some  measure 
his  own  fault,  and  might  have  been  avoided  without  sacrificing 
principle,  freedom  of  speech,  or  independence  of  action. 

He  had  criticised  sharply  and  severely  in  turn  the  Irish,  the 
Jesuits,  Catholics  of  opposite  views;  and  here  were  representa¬ 
tives  of  all  these  parties  united  in  hearty  and  effective  support 


394  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


of  their  sometime  critic.  He  was  encouraged  to  continue  his 
great  labors,  which  he  did  for  another  decade,  with  the  double 
end  of  serving  the  Church  and  atoning  for  the  blunders  of  the 
earlier  years.  In  1873  he  revived  his  famous  Review,  because  he 
desired,  as  he  himself  expressed  it,  “to  set  myself  right  before  the 
Catholic  public,  and  vindicate  my  honor  as  a  loyal  though  un¬ 
worthy  son  of  the  Church,  and  to  prove  that  I  have  no  sympathy 
with  those  of  my  former  friends  who  resisted,  or  still  resist,  the 
decrees  of  the  Council  of  the  Vatican,  and  have  grieved  the  ma¬ 
ternal  heart  of  the  Church  and  ruined  themselves.  I  revive  it, 
because  I  wish  to  protest  against  what  goes  by  the  name  of  Liber¬ 
alism,  whether  in  religion  or  in  politics,  and  to  prove  myself  a 
true  papist,  a  firm  adherent  of  the  papacy,  and  an  earnest  defender, 
as  far  as  my  ability  goes,  of  the  Apostolic  See.  I  also  revive  it, 
because  there  are  coming  up  every  day  great  and  vital  questions 
of  discussion  in  which  I  wish  to  take  part,  and  in  which  I  cannot 
take  the  part  I  wish  without  an  organ  under  my  own  control, 
through  which  I  can  speak  in  my  own  name,  and  on  my  own 
responsibility,  subject  only  to  the  ecclesiastical  authorities,  to 
whom  I  trust  I  shall  always  be  found  ready  to  yield  all  due  defer¬ 
ence,  as  a  loyal  Catholic.” 

The  Review  received  a  favorable  welcome  from  the  Catholic 
body,  both  the  Bishop  of  Newark  and  the  Archbishop  of  New 
York  writing  their  approval  and  sympathy  to  the  editor;  and  for 
three  years  it  continued  to  discuss  the  great  questions  which 
came  up  after  the  closing  or  suspension  of  the  Vatican  Council: 
the  attitude  of  Dollinger  and  the  Old  Catholics,  the  dogma  of  In¬ 
fallibility,  the  status  of  the  Temporal  Power,  and  the  relation 
of  these  main  questions  to  others.  The  air  was  clearer  after  the 
war,  the  minor  questions  of  the  earlier  day  had  disappeared, 
Brownson  avoided  what  might  be  irritating,  and  wrote  with  more 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 


395 


calmness  and  prudence;  in  consequence,  his  true  greatness  of 
intellect  and  heart  came  to  be  better  understood  by  the  leaders, 
and,  although  Catholic  journalism  had  entered  upon  a  decline  by 
1875,  he  himself  stood  higher  in  the  estimation  of  Catholics  than 
ever.  It  was  known  then  that  many  decades  would  pass  before 
such  a  light  would  shine  again  on  Catholic  Americans;  it  was 
also  known  that  America  had  not  produced  in  the  intellectual 
order  anything  greater  than  Brownson;  and  he  was  honored  ac¬ 
cordingly  with  the  general  esteem.  There  has  always  been,  how¬ 
ever,  a  weakness  in  the  Catholic  body  with  regard  to  the  com¬ 
mercial  value  of  its  great  thinkers  and  writers  here  in  America. 
The  Review  which  Brownson  established,  was  permitted  to  die  in 
1875  as  in  1864,  because  the  sentiment  behind  it  had  no  financial 
support.  No  one  had  ever  interested  purely  business  men  in  its 
success.  This  valuable  property  perished,  like  so  many  others, 
for  lack  of  a  little  capital.  Brownson  grew  too  feeble  to  conduct 
it  himself,  and  withdrew  to  Detroit  to  reside  with  his  son,  in 
which  city  he  died,  in  April,  1876,  his  remains  being  taken,  ten 
years  later,  to  Notre  Dame  University,  Indiana,  where  they  have 
since  reposed  in  honor. 

The  Freeman's  Journal  and  Editor  McMaster  were  in  char¬ 
acter  a  broad  antithesis  to  Brownson  and  his  Review.  The  most 
ridiculous  feature  of  McMaster’s  career  was  his  affected  scorn 
for  Brownson.  At  that  period,  only  the  few  understood  the  springs 
of  the  Freeman’s  Journal.  It  was  a  noisy  and  pompous  sheet, 
very  poorly  edited,  offensive  in  its  defence  of  orthodoxy,  and  half 
the  time  on  the  wrong  side.  As  Archbishop  Hughes  had  vainly 
tried  to  repress  its  editor,  so  his  successor  failed,  though  using 
gentler  means.  McMaster  had  gloried  in  being  a  copperhead 
Democrat,  and  as  such  had  annoyed  his  Unionist  Archbishop  in 
every  possible  way.  In  the  march  of  Victor  Emmanuel  upon 


396  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Rome  he  would  have  raised  an  American  army  to  cope  with  the 
invasion;  in  the  discussion  on  the  Vatican  Council  he  was  ultra¬ 
montane  to  the  last  degree;  he  would  not  believe  the  story  that 
Archbishop  McCloskey  had  united  in  the  protest  of  the  bishops 
to  Pius  IX  against  the  immediate  definition  of  Infallibility;  and 
he  turned  his  guns  on  Archbishop  Purcell,  of  Cincinnati,  striking 
at  his  own  Ordinary  over  Dr.  Purcell’s  shoulders.  His  services 
to  the  development  of  sound  thought  on  public  questions  were 
vitiated  by  his  bitter  attacks  on  all  opponents.  Whoso  did  not 
aoree  with  him  was  heretical  and  foredamned.  On  this  method 

O 

he  conducted  his  journal  for  over  thirty  years. 

He  had  a  certain  following,  because  many  have  a  taste  for 
unscrupulous  denunciation.  His  pomposity  provoked  laughter, 
particularly  when  he  showed  his  disdain  of  men  like  Brownson. 
The  secret  of  his  method  was  that  he  admired  and  imitated  Louis 
Veuillot,  the  noted  editor  of  the  violent,  hateful  and  popular 
L’TJnivers,  of  France,  a  capable  and  even  poetic  writer,  who  thought 
society  and  the  Church  could  not  be  saved  except  through  his 
methods.  McMaster  was  not  as  able  a  man,  however,  and  was 
not  placed  in  as  lucky  an  environment;  for  there  were  no  factions 
of  importance  in  America,  and  such  as  existed  had  not  the  bitter¬ 
ness  of  European  faction.  He  continued  his  imitation  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  and  provided  amusement  or  provoked  to  rage,  as  the 
humor  seized  him.  A  few  years  before  his  death  he  associated 
with  himself  a  young  and  rising  writer,  Maurice  Francis  Egan, 
whose  literary  taste  and  sane  methods  gave  the  Freeman's  Journal 
some  importance  among  moderate  Catholics,  and  helped  to  atone 
for  the  grave  injury  which  the  journal  inflicted  on  Catholic  inter¬ 
ests  by  the  insensate  course  of  McMaster  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  for  many  years  afterwards.  Personally,  he  was  a  devoted 
Catholic,  a  kindly  man,  sound  on  the  grave  questions  of  the  time; 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 


397 


and  his  journal  faithfully  recorded  the  leading  events  of  con¬ 
temporaneous  Catholic  history;  so  that  its  files,  at  present,  are 
very  useful  to  the  historian.  He  would  have  made  a  better  record 
of  service  had  he  never  fallen  under  the  influence  of  the  French 
Veuillot. 

A  noted  Catholic  family  of  the  period  ran  the  publishing  house 
of  the  Sadliers,  and  printed  a  very  respectable  journal,  the  Tablet, 
which  had  for  its  editors  at  different  times  Professor  Henry 
Anderson,  of  Columbia,  and  Brownson  himself.  The  Sadliers 
were  a  literary  group,  with  all  the  ambition  and  taste  of  such  a 
coterie,  and  their  journal  and  publishing  house  together  developed 
a  number  of  writers  and  sent  out  a  variety  of  publications  that 
made  the  Catholic  book-trade  remarkable.  Mrs.  James  Sadlier 
contributed  to  the  Tablet  the  numerous  stories,  original  and  trans¬ 
lated,  which  made  her  name  a  household  word  among  Catholics. 
One  or  two  generations  were  brought  up  on  her  books,  which 
were  pleasant  and  healthful  always,  some  of  them  valuable  for 
their  presentation  of  Catholic  life  in  Ireland  and  America.  Her 
daughter  Anna  and  her  niece  Agnes  were  writers  of  merit.  Many 
other  writers  of  the  period  owed  their  advance  to  the  Tablet  and 
the  Sadliers.  The  publishers  had  a  fine  list  of  American  and 
English  books,  mostly  on  religious  and  controversial  topics,  with 
a  fair  list  of  American  and  European  fiction.  The  Tablet  for 
many  years  represented  the  opinions  of  the  church  authorities, 
and  was  a  protest  against  the  personalities  and  erratic  conduct 
of  McMaster.  Archbishop  McCloskey  commended  its  careful  and 
considerate  course,  but  urged  that  in  specific  matters,  such  as 
dealing  with  the  unspeakable  Harper  publications,  strength  and 
severity  should  be  the  leading  qualities.  The  Sadlier  policy  was 
ever  pacific.  When  the  audacious  McMaster  attacked  Brownson 
in  his  sledge-hammer  style,  the  proprietor  of  the  Tablet  urged 


398  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Brownson  to  ignore  it.  “All  McMaster  wants  is  for  some  able  man 
to  galvanize  him  into  life,  but  don’t  you  be  instrumental  in  doing 
it — let  him  alone  very  severely.”  The  statement  was  exact.  Mc¬ 
Master  could  not  formulate  anything  of  himself,  lacking  education 
and  training;  but  he  could  bark  at  the  heels  of  a  pastoral  from 
Dr.  Hughes,  or  an  article  from  Brownson,  with  the  confidence  of 
a  savant.  Brownson  had  to  answer  him  in  the  Tablet,  which 
was  just  then  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Sadlier.  “It  is  perhaps  a  little 
surprising  that  the  editor  of  the  Freeman’s  Journal,  a  man  of 
acknowledged  high  mental  and  moral  culture,  and  whose  fertility 
of  invention  is  unrivalled,  should  have  found  no  better  answer 
to  this  than  that  Dr.  Brownson  is  an  old  man,  who  lacked  the 
advantages  of  early  education  and  a  liberal  culture,  and  that  the 
Tablet  is  edited  by  a  woman,  and  he  never  reads  it.  It  of  course 
would  never  occur  to  anyone  to  rank  the  Tablet,  as  a  Catholic 
paper,  with  the  Journal,  or  Dr.  Brownson,  as  a  theologian,  with 
its  learned  and  accomplished  editor;  but  as  this  answer  does  not 
seem  to  us  to  meet  the  question,  we  hope  it  will  be  considered  no 
intrusion  if,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned,  we  answer  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Doctor  for  ourselves.”  The  Tablet  continued  in  good 
service  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  perhaps,  when  it  gently  passed 
away  to  the  limbo  which  seems  to  await  the  majority  of  such 
publications  in  this  country. 

In  April  of  1864,  shortly  before  Brownson’s  Review  went  out 
of  existence,  the  Catholic  World  appeared,  a  monthly  magazine 
conducted  by  the  Paulist  community.  Its  original  policy  was 
that  of  a  high-class  review,  less  personal  and  less  profound  than 
Brownson’s,  but  presenting  the  highest  expression  of  Catholic 
thought,  as  given  in  the  great  reviews.  The  articles  were  not 
signed,  so  that  the  editor  became  responsible  for  its  output  of 
opinions ;  but  as  this  condition  soon  led  to  grave  differences  with 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 


399 


contributors,  the  method  of  signed  articles  was  afterwards  adopted. 
Brownson  contributed  to  it  for  some  years,  until  he  could  no  longer 
agree  with  Father  Hecker  on  certain  matters  of  philosophy  and 
methods  of  expression.  The  magazine  gathered  about  it  a  fine 
group  of  writers,  native  and  foreign,  old  and  new;  and  besides 
its  service  to  the  thought  of  the  time  gave  opportunity  and  train¬ 
ing  to  the  younger  element  in  Catholic  American  journalism. 
John  Hassard  wrote  for  it,  and  Agnes  Repplier  began  her  success¬ 
ful  career  under  its  care;  Lady  Blanche  Murphy  contributed  to 
it  from  her  home  in  New  Hampshire,  the  charming  English  girl 
who  married  an  Irish  musician,  and  died  not  many  years  after; 
Mrs.  Homer  Martin,  wife  of  the  well-known  artist  and  a  convert, 
was  its  reviewer  for  years,  and  contributed  two  or  three  novels; 
Dr.  Cornelius  O’Leary,  physician,  professor  at  Manhattan  Col¬ 
lege  and  clever  essayist,  Maurice  Egan,  Thomas  Galwey,  Boyle 
O’Reilly,  and  William  Seton  were  frequently  seen  in  its  pages. 
Its  aim  was  the  development  of  the  American  method  in  all  things, 
and  the  expression  of  the  American  spirit.  Hitherto  all  things 
printed  were  Irish,  English,  and  German,  in  spite  of  the  outspoken 
rebuke  of  Brownson  and  the  reiterated  instructions  of  Archbishop 
Hughes.  The  Catholic  journals  depended  on  Irish  patronage 
almost  exclusively,  or  on  German,  and  were  compelled  to  minister 
to  the  taste  and  liking  of  their  patrons.  It  was  a  difficult  aim  to 
pursue  in  those  days,  and  the  editors  of  the  Catholic  W orld  found 
it  expensive;  but  they  persevered  valiantly,  fighting  the  general 
belief  that  to  be  Catholic  was  to  be  Irish,  and  that  the  American 
had  to  be  denationalized  in  order  to  enter  the  household  of  the 
faith.  Following  the  trend  of  the  times,  the  magazine  became 
more  and  more  popular  in  form  towards  the  end  of  this  period, 
and  finally  lost  its  character  of  a  review  for  the  sake  of  the  larger 
number  to  be  reached  by  the  popular  form.  While  Father  Hecker 


400  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


lived,  it  still  discussed  the  great  questions  of  the  time,  but  in  lan¬ 
guage  suited  to  the  average  intelligence. 

A  new  personality  entered  the  field  of  Catholic  journalism 
in  1872  with  the  founding  of  the  Catholic  Review  by  Patrick  V. 
Hickey,  a  young  Irishman  who  had  enjoyed  a  fine  training  in  the 
best  colleges  of  Ireland  and  a  good  experience  in  secular  jour¬ 
nalism  in  New  York.  He  found  an  opening  in  the  need  of  the 
Catholic  people  for  a  capable  and  impersonal  organ,  free  from  the 
violence  and  partisanship  of  the  Freeman's  Journal,  and  stiffer 
than  the  Tablet  in  attack  and  defence.  His  success  justified  his 
venture,  and  in  a  few  years  the  Catholic  Review  became  the  favor¬ 
ite  weekly  with  reading  Catholics  of  all  nationalities  and  opinions, 
a  position  which  it  held  almost  throughout  its  career.  Its  editor 
enjoyed  one  illuminating  experience  in  the  presidential  campaign 
of  1884.  The  Catholic  Union  had  labored  hard  for  some  years  on 
a  freedom  of  worship  bill,  intended  to  open  state  institutions 
to  the  services  of  Catholic  priests  for  Catholic  inmates;  the  Catho¬ 
lic  Review  gave  its  support  to  the  measure,  which  Governor  Cleve¬ 
land  would  not  permit  to  be  brought  before  him  for  signature, 
lest  it  might  interfere  with  his  presidential  prospects.  The  Re¬ 
view  therefore  opposed  his  election,  indirectly  favoring  Senator 
Blaine,  its  editor  in  consequence  was  accused  of  having  sold 
himself  to  the  Republican  party,  his  subscribers  diminished 
nearly  one-half,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  destroy  the  journal 
by  some  indignant  Democrats.  Hickey  was  a  man  of  resource 
and  courage.  He  founded  an  illustrated  paper  called  the  Illus¬ 
trated  Catholic  American,  a  dollar  weekly  known  as  the  Catholic 
American,  a  library  of  cheap  publications  in  cloth  and  paper 
known  as  “  The  Vatican  Library,”  and  the  Holy  Family  Magazine; 
all  items  in  a  grand  scheme  of  publication  which  would  give  the 
Catholic  body  the  best  services  of  the  printing-press.  He  sur- 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 


401 


rounded  himself  with  the  strongest  talent  of  the  period.  John 
McCarthy  and  Maurice  Egan,  Arthur  Marshall  and  Margaret 
F.  Sullivan,  with  many  others,  were  editorial  contributors;  his 
fair  and  generous  policy  pleased  both  leaders  and  people;  and  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  although  he  himself  passed  away  in  1889, 
his  various  publications  did  the  Catholic  cause  good  service,  until 
they  followed  the  Tablet  into  the  limbo  of  press  ventures. 

There  were  several  journals  in  existence  during  this  period 
which  displayed  the  Catholic  flag  and  represented  in  their  own 
fashion  fractional  Catholic  thought,  but  were  not  recognized  as 
religious  journals.  The  Irish  American,  edited  by  Meehan,  was 
of  this  character,  and  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  having  absorbed 
the  old  Truth-Teller,  New  York’s  first  Catholic  paper.  The 
Sunday  Democrat  was  founded  in  1867  by  Robert  White,  Richard 
Walters,  and  David  Power  Conyngham,  who  had  been  a  Herald 
war  correspondent,  wrote  several  novels,  was  editor  and  part 
owner  of  the  Tablet  afterwards,  and  died  in  1883.  The  Irish 
World  was  founded  about  the  same  time  by  the  Ford  brothers, 
and  earned  notoriety  and  money  by  playing  McMaster’s  uproar¬ 
ious  part  in  the  political  world;  it  pursued  James  with  columns  of 
his  own  savage  criticism  and  abuse;  and,  strangely  enough,  his 
Freeman’s  Journal  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Fords  after  his  death. 
The  Sunday  Union  represented  for  a  long  time  the  temperance 
movement,  and  was  edited  by  a  capable  and  tactful  journalist, 
William  O’Brien.  These  independent  journals  went  their  own 
way  without  much  regard  for  the  prevailing  opinions,  often  spoke 
their  mind  freely  on  indiscreet  matters,  and  were  used  by  the 
opposition  to  express  its  sentiments. 

Journalism  was  a  popular  profession  with  Catholics  always, 
and  the  secular  press  employed'  numbers  of  them.  The  Herald 
was  edited  for  many  years  by  Thomas  Connery,  and  John  Hassard 


402  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


held  an  important  position  on  the  Tribune.  Marion  Crawford 
made  his  debut  as  a  novelist  while  connected  with  the  New  York 
press.  Gilmary  Shea,  our  historian,  was  for  years  an  editor  on 
the  Frank  Leslie  publications.  Colonel  Meline  while  a  journal¬ 
ist  produced  his  critique  of  Froude’s  treatment  of  Mary  Queen 
of  Scots.  Richard  Clarke,  Storrs  Willis,  the  brother  of  the  poet, 
Charles  Herbermann,  John  Savage,  poet  and  dramatist,  William 
Seton,  novelist  and  essayist,  and  Augustine  Thebaud,  Jesuit,  were 
notable  at  this  time.  It  was  not  a  very  fortunate  period  for  Catho¬ 
lic  writers.  The  secular  spirit  had  invaded  the  literary  world 
before  everything,  practically  captured  it,  and  decreed  the  banish¬ 
ment  of  all  things  religious.  The  general  press  had  become  more 
courteous  to  Catholics,  insulted  them  more  rarely,  avoided  print¬ 
ing  the  old  lies  of  history,  and  sought  their  patronage.  In  these 
conditions  the  average  Catholic  could  not  see  the  need  of  a  Catho¬ 
lic  literature  any  more  than  of  a  Catholic  school. 

The  Catholic  publishers  from  1860  to  1880  had  found  a  ready 
sale  for  the  work  of  Newman,  Faber,  Manning,  Digby,  Marshall, 
and  Ward;  for  the  Irish  novelists,  Banim,  Carleton,  and  Griffin; 
for  Balmes,  Darras,  and  Lingard;  for  the  stories  of  Lady  Georgi- 
ana  Fullerton  and  Hendrik  Conscience.  After  that  date  the  sale 
fell  off,  and  the  publishers  one  by  one  lost  prestige,  dropped  into 
bankruptcy,  or  took  up  inferior  methods  with  inferior  work.  As 
the  Sadliers  weakened,  Father  Hecker’s  publication  society  came 
to  the  front,  backed  up  rather  by  the  financial  support  of  the 
charitable  George  Hecker  than  by  the  purchases  of  Catholic 
patrons.  In  time,  it  passed  under  the  management  of  Lawrence 
Kehoe  as  a  stock  company,  and  finally  went  out  of  existence. 
The  old-fashioned  library  system,  which  had  been  a  feature 
of  parish  work  at  one  time,  was  dropped,  more  and  more  the 
Catholic  leaders  and  people  lost  the  idea  of  a  distinctly  Catho- 


LETTERS  AND  JOURNALISM 


403 


lie  press,  and  by  the  next  administration  New  York  had  as  poor 
a  press  condition  as  could  be  desired  by  the  supporters  of  the 
theory  that  a  Catholic  press  was  unnecessary.  The  journalists' 
and  authors  of  the  faith  carried  their  talents  into  the  general 
market,  where  they  won  the  reputation  and  the  income  not  to 
be  secured  in  Catholic  authorship. 


Foundling  Asylum 


CHAPTER  XXV 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 

DURING  Cardinal  McCloskey’s  time 
the  world  began  to  see  that  the 
Catholic  Church  was  reviving  in 
lish-speaking  countries,  and  showing  re¬ 
markable  vigor  in  the  United  States, 
where  its  rise  to  importance  had  become 
a 

of  Rome  by  the  Italians  had  been  ac¬ 
cepted  as  the  death-blow  of  the  papacy, 
whose  extinction  would  be  speedily  fol¬ 
lowed  by  the  fall  of  the  Church  itself. 
The  honors  of  the  cardinalate  conferred  on  Manning  and 
McCloskey  in  1875,  the  dedication  of  the  New  York  Cathedral, 
the  elevation  to  the  purple  of  Father  John  Henry  Newman, 
were  received  with  such  enthusiasm  by  the  general  public,  made 
such  a  sensation  in  the  journals,  and  were  so  applauded  by  man¬ 
kind,  that  those  who  had  looked  upon  the  Church  as  dead  began 
to  wonder,  and  then  set  out  to  study  the  phenomenon.  A  vitality 
which  survived  the  loss  of  the  temporal  power,  the  enmity  of 
France,  the  confiscations  and  oppressions  of  Italy,  the  persecu¬ 
tion  of  Bismarck,  and  the  indifference  of  Austria,  was  not  to  be 
despised;  and  an  institution  which  thrived  in  the  free  air  of  the 
Republic,  where  intelligence  was  so  diffused  and  the  love  of 
liberty  so  profound,  deserved  attention  and  study. 

Conversions  to  the  Catholic  faith  had  become  commonplace 
from  their  number  and  importance,  but  none  the  less  irritating. 

(404.) 


kind  of  phenomenon.  The  occupation 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


405 


Protestants  had  reconciled  themselves  to  the  loss  of  Brownson, 
whom  they  described  as  on  the  road  to  Buddhism,  and  had  shut 
him  out  of  vision  and  hearing  as  far  as  they  were  able;  they 
recovered  from  the  shock  of  Bishop  Ives’  entrance  into  the 
Church,  forgot  Huntington  and  John  Hassard;  but  when  these 
conversions  came  to  be  repeated  weekly  by  recruits  from  all  ranks 
and  from  all  the  sects,  irritation  became  jealous  anger.  Rev.  James 
Kent  Stone  left  their  body  in  1870,  shortly  after  reading  Pius 
IX’s  invitation  to  the  Vatican  Council,  a  document  which  he 
had  glanced  at  with  some  amusement,  read  with  astonishment, 
and  meditated  upon  with  surprising  effect.  He  was  a  rising 
man,  about  thirty,  and  had  been  president  of  two  notable  colleges, 
Hobart  in  Ohio  and  Kenyon  in  New  York;  he  became  a  Catho¬ 
lic,  and  wrote  an  account  of  his  conversion  in  a  remarkable  book 
entitled,  “The  Invitation  Heeded”;  his  ordination  as  a  priest 
of  the  Paulist  community  followed  shortly  afterwards;  and  later 
as  a  member  of  the  Passionist  community  he  was  known  and 
eminent  as  Father  Fidelis.  His  conversion  and  his  book  had  a 
great  effect,  and  led  many  others  to  follow  him  into  the  faith. 

It  was  not  so  surprising  that  George  Hecker  and  his  family 
became  Catholics,  as  they  were  under  the  influence  of  their  fa¬ 
mous  brother,  Father  Hecker;  nor  that  Storrs  Willis,  a  writer  of 
note  and  brother  of  the  noted  Nathaniel,  should  do  so  strange  a 
thing,  since  he  came  from  an  eccentric  family;  but  that  Ida  Gree¬ 
ley,  daughter  of  the  only  Horace  of  the  Tribune,  should  be  led 
away  by  the  delusions  of  a  foreign  religion  seemed  altogether 
pitiful.  The  fact  was  kept  out  of  sight  as  much  as  possible. 

A  list  of  converts  in  New  York  alone  would  fill  several  pages, 
counting  only  the  more  eminent.  They  represented  all  walks 
of  life,  and  their  motives  had  varied  in  each  case.  The  way  into 
the  fold  had  not  been  pleasant.  Catholics  were  distant  with 


406  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


bitter  Protestants,  and  were  supposed  to  be  entirely  the  vulgar 
Irish  and  the  coarse  Germans;  and  the  ascent  to  the  truth  was 
emphasized  by  a  descent  in  the  social  scale  for  the  convert. 
Nevertheless,  the  converts  found  their  way  in,  encouraged  by  the 
famous  conversions  in  England,  and  by  the  fine  utterances  of 
Newman  and  Manning;  and  stimulated  too  by  the  eminence 
which  had  come  to  prelates  like  Bayley  and  Wood  and  Wadhams. 

Rev.  William  Henry  Hoyt  became  a  priest  after  his  conver¬ 
sion,  and  died  in  1883  at  the  altar  in  St.  Ann’s  Church,  of  apo¬ 
plexy,  just  after  the  Communion;  Eliza  Austen,  of  Burlington, 
Vermont,  was  an  artist  of  standing,  who  died  in  1886;  from  the 
army  came  three  well-known  men,  General  Scammon,  General 
Charles  P.  Stone,  and  General  John  Newton,  the  engineer  who 
mined  and  blew  up  Hell  Gate;  eminent  in  social  circles  had  been 
Mrs.  Hicks  Lord,  and  Mrs.  Starr,  who  later  became  the  supe¬ 
rior  of  the  community  founded  by  Father  Preston,  the  Sisters  of 
the  Divine  Compassion.  The  widow  of  General  Thomas 
Francis  Meagher,  the  widow  and  daughters  of  General  Philip 
Kearney,  became  Catholics.  Three  members  of  the  noted  Van 
Rensselaer  family  entered  the  Church,  Henry  and  his  two  sisters, 
the  young  man  becoming  a  Jesuit,  and  one  sister  joining  a  reli¬ 
gious  community.  Oliver  Buel,  a  noted  lawyer,  his  wife  and  two 
children,  became  converts;  and  another  famous  lawyer,  George 
Bliss,  became  a  Catholic  a  few  years  before  his  death  in  1884, 
his  wife  having  been  in  the  faith  some  years  before.  The  reli¬ 
gious  communities,  and  more  particularly  the  Paulists,  gathered 
about  them  little  colonies  of  converts,  cherished  and  protected 
them,  and  helped  them  over  the  sad  difficulties  of  the  first  years. 

These  troubles  arose  from  the  desertion  of  relatives  and 
friends,  the  loss  of  congenial  occupation,  the  struggle  for  exist¬ 
ence,  and  the  inevitable  reaction  that  follows  the  first  enthusiasm. 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


407 


Many  of  the  early  converts  were  veritable  martyrs,  whose  suf¬ 
ferings  ended  only  with  death.  Perhaps  no  one  was  to  blame. 
Yet  had  their  Protestant  relatives  and  friends  practised  more 
generously  their  own  principles,  that  a  man  is  free  to  choose  his 
own  religion,  and  one  sect  is  as  good  as  another,  their  lot  would 
have  been  happier.  The  Catholic  faith  was  excluded  from  the 
action  of  these  principles,  and  its  professors  suffered  such  ostra¬ 
cism  as  Protestants  in  their  bitter  hate  could  inflict.  Although 
the  day  of  Knownothingism  as  an  organization  had  gone  by, 
its  spirit  lived  and  displayed  itself  in  various  forms. 

The  Protestant  press  carefully  watched  and  studiously  mis¬ 
interpreted  the  growth  and  activities  of  the  Church;  and  as  its 
editors  and  writers  were  men  of  little  or  no  culture  for  the  most 
part,  and  many  of  them  small  by  nature  as  by  condition,  they 
repeated  all  the  old  lying  fables  from  the  story  of  Pope  Joan  to 
the  Masonic  career  of  Count  Mastai  Ferretti,  afterwards  Pius 
IX.  The  investigations  of  modern  historians  had  not  yet  reached 
these  petty  journalists. 

The  most  venomous  and  incapable  of  these  journals  was  the 
Weekly  Witness,  the  real  successor  of  Dr.  Brownlee’s  Protestant 
of  forty  years  earlier.  Its  life  was  brief,  and  its  character  may 
be  judged  from  a  single  specimen  of  its  foreign  news  :  that 
the  Free  Church  of  Scotland  was  meeting  with  much  success  in 
the  conversion  of  the  Jews!  Whatever  intelligence  these  journal¬ 
ists  possessed  in  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life  completely  disappeared 
in  their  treatment  of  Catholic  matters.  The  secular  journals 
opposed  to  the  Church  showed  intelligence  and  malice.  Harper’s 
Weekly  won  renown  among  its  supporters  for  the  cartoons  of 
Thomas  Nast,  w  hich  reflected  the  double  hatred  of  editors  and  car¬ 
toonists  for  the  Irish  and  the  Church,  and  at  the  same  time  touched 
on  all  the  questions  with  which  the  Church  was  concerned. 


408  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


The  Catholic  was  always  portrayed  as  an  Irishman,  the  priest 
was  provided  with  a  simian  countenance,  the  church  school  was 
portrayed  as  a  nest  of  treason;  the  wit  and  humor  and  laughable 
exaggeration  that  belong  to  a  cartoon  disappeared  before  the 
satanic  hate  of  the  artist;  and  the  misrepresentation  of  the  faith, 
the  motives,  the  aims,  and  labors  of  the  Catholic  body  was  so 
constant,  so  vile,  and  so  reckless  that  the  leaders  had  to  take  spe¬ 
cial  measures  against  Harper' s.  Cardinal  McCloskey,  sending 
three  clippings  from  Harper  s  to  Brownson,  wrote  that  one  could 
not  write  too  severely  against  such  enemies.  It  was  not  with 
regret  that  in  later  years  the  Catholic  body  saw  the  entire  Harper 
family  ousted  from  their  publishing  house  by  reverses,  and 
Thomas  Nast  reduced  to  poverty,  shorn  of  his  criminal  fame, 
and  dying  of  cholera  in  some  forlorn  consulship  in  South  America. 
His  cartoons  had  made  him  infamous,  but  less  so  than  they  had 
made  his  employers. 

The  New  York  Herald  never  lost  sight  of  the  tradition  of  its 
founder,  and  regularly  denounced  the  Catholic  American  body, 
sometimes  in  general,  less  frequently  in  detail.  It  encouraged 
the  rebels  within  the  fold,  or  the  insurgents,  or  the  discontented; 
its  staff  usually  employed  two  or  three  renegades  of  ability,  and 
its  blows  always  smacked  of  treason.  It  alluded  to  the  Christian 
Brothers  as  “Les  Freres  Ignorantins.  ”  It  had  many  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  harpy,  spoiling  what  it  could  not  destroy. 
Its  companion  in  diatribe  and  misrepresentation  was  the  Times 
under  George  Jones,  which  labored  heavily  to  imitate  English 
methods  of  slander;  but  Jones  had  not  the  rowdy  spirit  in  him 
that  marked  the  Herald.  He  tried  to  criticise  and  comment 
fairly,  more  like  a  man  of  judgment  than  a  blackmailer.  His 
journal  represented  the  more  refined  element  among  the  enemies 
of  the  Church,  the  trustees  of  public  and  private  charities 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


409 


engaged  in  perverting  Catholic  children,  and  the  promoters  of 
mission  schemes  to  Paris  and  Rome.  The  newspaper  men  saw 
more  clearly  the  increasing  power  of  the  Catholic  body,  and  were 
sounding  the  alarm  even  in  their  flattering  descriptions  of  the 
Cardinal’s  honors  and  the  dedication  of  the  Cathedral. 

They  gave  large  space  to  ministers  of  the  Coxe  type.  Arthur 
Cleveland  Coxe  was  the  Episcopalian  bishop  of  Western  New 
York,  had  been  the  schoolmate  of  McMaster  and  an  admirer 
of  John  Henry  Newman,  and  refusing  to  follow  Newman  to  Rome 
became  a  noisy  denouncer  of  the  Church  in  America.  He 
allowed  nothing  to  pass  without  comment,  and  being  oftener 
wrong  than  right  stirred  up  the  controversial  to  fiery  reply.  His 
brethren  felt  rather  relieved  when  death  removed  him  from  the 
public  forum.  He  had  a  counterpart  in  Rev.  John  Newman, 
notable  as  the  intimate  friend  of  President  Grant,  and  probably 
the  inspiration  of  that  gentleman’s  hostile  disposition  towards 
Catholics. 

Newman  had  been  interested  in  the  effort  of  the  capitalists 
to  keep  the  Chinese  in  America,  by  preventing  the  passage  of  the 
exclusion  act;  and  as  an  argument  in  favor  of  the  Chinese,  he 
described  their  superiority  on  all  grounds  to  the  Irish  immigrants, 
who  had  been  permitted  to  overrun  the  East.  This  argument 
won  him  notoriety,  was  taken  up  by  the  hostile  press,  and  actu¬ 
ally  led  to  a  new  phase  of  Knownothingism  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
Even  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  who  seemed  on  the  whole  a  little 
above  his  fellow-ministers  in  sense  and  refinement,  permitted 
himself  an  occasional  descent  into  the  mud;  as  when  he  referred 
to  the  Catholic  clergy  with  sly  contempt:  “The  hard-working, 
hard-drinking  Catholic  clergy:”  and  in  explaining  the  election 
of  Grover  Cleveland  in  1884,  which  some  believed  had  been 
brought  about  by  the  votes  of  Catholics,  he  remarked:  “The 


410  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Cardinal  winked  at  the  bishops,  the  bishops  winked  at  the  clergy, 
the  clergy  winked  at  the  voters,  and  a  Republican  majority  of 
200,000  vanished  before  Cleveland’s  majority  in  New  York  of 
1,200.” 

The  practical  form  of  Protestant  hostility  displayed  itself  in 
such  falsehoods  as  the  story  of  the  Cathedral  site,  in  the  work  of 
proselytizing,  and  in  opposing  such  legislative  relief  as  the  freedom 
of  worship  bill.  The  natural  jealousy  at  the  spectacle  of  the 
new  Cathedral  on  Fifth  Avenue  led  to  the  charge  that  the  site 
had  been  stolen  from  the  city.  Protestants  took  it  bitterly  that 
the  despised  Catholics  should  have  earned  the  credit  of  being 
the  first  to  erect  a  noble  temple  on  American  soil,  and  this  lie 
represented  their  feelings  and  soothed  them.  It  has  become 
perennial,  blooms  suddenly  at  least  every  decade,  and  has  to  be 
exposed  regularly  in  the  public  journals.  One  Clarence  Cook 
wrote  the  charge  for  the  Atlantic  Monthly  in  this  lurid  fashion: 
“The  city  was  jockeyed  out  of  the  finest  site  on  the  island  by  a 
crafty  and  unscrupulous  priest,  playing  upon  the  political  hopes 
and  fears  of  as  base  a  lot  of  men  as  ever  ruled  a  city.”  John 
Hassard  wrote  privately  to  Mr.  Cook  the  true  history  of  the  prop¬ 
erty,  and  he  had  the  spirit  to  retract  his  charges  in  the  next 
number  of  the  magazine. 

The  bare  facts  in  the  matter  are  that  the  city  sold  the  land 
outright  in  1799  to  one  Robert  Sylburn  for  something  like  two 
thousand  dollars,  that  it  passed  through  various  hands  for  thirty 
years,  and  then  was  purchased  in  the  year  1829  by  the  parishes 
of  St.  Peter’s  and  the  Cathedral  to  be  used  as  a  graveyard,  the 
purchase  price  being  $5,500.  In  the  year  1852,  the  Cathedral 
corporation  bought  out  St.  Peter’s  interest  for  $59,500.  When 
the  Catholics  purchased  the  land,  it  had  been  private  property 
for  thirty  years;  Archbishop  Hughes,  Mr.  Cook’s  crafty  prelate, 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


411 


was  a  young  priest  in  Philadelphia,  and  some  of  the  base  aider- 
men  were  not  yet  born;  and  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  to  elapse 
before  the  land  was  thought  of  at  all  as  a  site  for  a  cathedral. 

The  state  institutions  and  the  state  and  city  courts  were  all 
in  the  hands  of  Protestants,  who  were  occasionally  in  deep  sym¬ 
pathy  with  the  work  of  perverting  the  children,  the  poor,  the 
sick,  and  the  criminal,  in  charge  of  the  state.  These  unfortunates 
could  profess  any  religion  but  their  own.  The  Cardinal  had  to 
make  a  stiff  fight  for  freedom  of  worship  in  state  institutions  and 
for  the  destruction  of  proselytizing.  The  opponents  of  the  vari¬ 
ous  measures  taken  were  the  true  blue  Protestant  faction,  who 
never  scrupled  to  use  the  state  institutions  in  promoting  the  Prot¬ 
estant  gospel,  and  shouted  sectarianism  when  a  Catholic  priest 
administered  the  Sacraments  to  his  own  people.  This  hypoc¬ 
risy  was  finally  and  thoroughly  beaten  by  a  combination  of 
Catholics  and  Protestants,  who  detested  the  principles  and 
methods  of  the  anti-Catholic  faction.  Governor  David  B.  Hill 
signed  the  freedom  of  worship  bill,  which  permitted  to  the  Catho¬ 
lic  inmates  of  state  institutions  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion 
with  all  that  the  phrase  implied.  Catholic  children  by  an  earlier 
act  were  sent  by  the  magistrates  to  Catholic  institutions;  and  the 
magistrates  themselves  were  very  frequently  Catholic,  according 
as  prejudice  disappeared  among  the  voters.  The  relations  of 
Catholics  and  Protestants  improved  during  this  period  by  the 
spread  of  intelligence  among  the  latter.  They  learned  that  all 
Catholics  were  not  Irish,  not  all  ignorant,  and  not  all  members 
of  the  Spanish  Inquisition;  they  also  learned  that  Catholic  doc¬ 
trine  could  be  well  defended,  while  some  of  their  own  tenets  had 
no  defence  even  among  themselves;  and  by  degrees  they  per¬ 
mitted  themselves  to  regard  the  Catholic  body  as  a  part  of  the 
American  Republic. 


412  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


The  public  temper  was,  therefore,  somewhat  kind  to  Catholics 
when  death  closed  the  career  of  Cardinal  McCloskey  on  October 
10,  1885.  So  quietly  had  he  gone  through  life  that  the  general 
crowd  never  gave  him  credit  for  his  executive  ability,  for  strength 
of  character,  and  for  well-fibred  achievement.  He  was  con¬ 
sidered  a  fortunate  rather  than  an  able  man.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  he  was  both.  His  physical  strength  and  temperament  were 
not  of  the  kind  that  could  march  into  the  arena  and  make  a  bid 
for  battle,  as  could  Archbishop  Hughes.  But  he  made  up  for 
that  lack  by  a  shrewd  watchfulness  that  anticipated  a  crisis  and 
killed  it  in  the  bud,  by  a  tact  that  nourished  the  useful  scheme 
and  starved  the  useless,  by  a  penetration  that  selected  or  discarded 
persons  and  means  to  an  end  with  success.  He  fought  with  no  one 
and  encouraged  the  workers.  His  gentleness  did  not  mean  weak¬ 
ness,  for  he  carried  on  the  work  of  the  diocese  steadily,  urged  his 
writers  to  the  attack  on  calumniators,  stimulated  his  committees, 
and  produced  noble  results.  It  is  impossible  to  read  the  records 
without  receiving  the  impression  of  his  strength  of  will,  his  pene¬ 
tration,  his  zeal,  his  tact,  and  his  delightful  intelligence.  It  will 
require  considerable  discrimination,  when  the  facts  are  all  in 
court  at  the  last,  to  decide  between  him  and  his  predecessor.  The 
Cardinal  was  the  more  lovable  man,  the  gentleman,  the  diplomat; 
the  Archbishop  was  the  brusque,  imperious,  autocratic  field 
marshal,  not  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  others;  as  the  pioneer 
he  created  all  that  the  Cardinal  carefully  conserved;  but  the 
work  of  conservation  had  singular  merits. 

The  funeral  of  Cardinal  McCloskey  took  place  in  the  Cathe¬ 
dral,  on  October  13,  amid  splendid  ceremonies.  Archbishop 
Corrigan  sang  the  requiem,  and  with  the  prelates,  Williams  of 
Boston,  Gibbons  of  Baltimore,  Ryan  of  Philadelphia,  and  Lough- 
lin  of  Brooklyn,  gave  the  last  absolution.  The  whole  world 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


413 


turned  out  to  see  the  funeral  of  the  first  American  cardinal.  The 
men  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  guarded  the  bier;  a  candle  of  yellow 
wax  burned,  as  for  royalty,  at  each  corner  of  the  catafalque;  the 
red  hat  lay  on  a  cushion  at  his  feet.  The  Archbishop  of  Balti¬ 
more  preached  the  sermon. 

A  singular  incident  occurred  in  connection  with  the  Cardi¬ 
nal’s  death.  Mr.  J.  F.  Loubat,  an  American  residing  in  Paris, 
had  a  solemn  requiem  Mass  celebrated  at  the  Church  of  the 
Madeleine  for  the  repose  of  the  Cardinal’s  soul.  It  was  a  mag¬ 
nificent  function,  the  church  was  draped  superbly,  the  music  was 
of  the  noblest  character,  the  American  embassy  attended  together 
with  the  leading  Americans  in  Paris,  and  the  Archbishop  of  Paris 
occupied  the  throne,  surrounded  by  many  of  his  clergy.  They 
could  not  but  recall  on  this  occasion  the  mission  of  Hughes  to 
Napoleon  III  and  the  attitude  of  McCloskey  at  the  Vatican  Coun¬ 
cil.  The  Cardinal  was  laid  to  rest  beside  his  predecessor,  equal 
at  last  in  the  repose  of  death.  They  had  loved  and  served  the 
Church  with  all  the  strength  of  their  different  natures;  if  one  was 
bold  and  brilliant,  the  other  was  shrewd  and  persistent;  and  both 
won  success  and  renown,  and  both  were  faithful  to  the  end. 


Mount  Loretto 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


John  Gilmary  Shea 


ICHAEL  AUGUSTINE  COR¬ 
RIGAN,  the  third  Archbishop 
of  New  York,  entered  upon  his  office 
with  the  advantage  of  five  years’  per¬ 
sonal  experience  as  coadjutor  to  the 
Cardinal,  and  with  the  general  good-will 
of  the  clergy  and  the  people.  Youth¬ 
ful  in  appearance  and  carriage,  and 
youthful  for  the  rank  which  he  held, 
his  personal  qualities  won  for  him  the 
favor  which  always  goes  unasked  to 
the  young  in  high  position.  In  the 
trying  position  of  coadjutor  he  had  borne  himself  with  gentleness 
and  discretion.  He  was  known  to  be  a  student  of  fine  application 
and  an  accurate  scholar;  his  courtoeus  manner  and  readiness  of 
access  made  him  many  friends;  he  came  of  a  good  stock,  rooted 
in  the  faith,  generous  and  public-spirited.  With  his  wealthy 
brothers  he  had  come  to  the  rescue  of  Seton  Hall  College  in  a 
financial  crisis.  Three  members  of  the  family  were  priests  of 
high  standing.  His  career  had  been  happy  and  fortunate  from 
its  beginning.  In  college  and  seminary  he  had  easily  won  honors; 
as  a  professor  in  Seton  Hall  he  proved  himself  conscientious, 
industrious,  and  capable;  always  a  model  priest,  he  ruled  the 
Seton  Hall  institution  under  Bishop  Bayley  with  profit  and  suc¬ 
cess,  and  endeared  himself  by  his  combined  firmness  and  gentle¬ 
ness  to  all  around  him;  as  Bishop  of  Newark  his  administration 

(414) 


Most  Reverend  M.  A.  Corrigan 
1880-1902 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


415 


was  efficient  and  spotless;  and  when  the  promotion  to  New  York 
came  no  one  felt  surprised.  The  conditions  of  the  diocese  at 
the  moment  of  his  accession  were  excellent,  the  Catholic  body 
was  winning  the  success  in  every  direction  which  puts  the  most 
mixed  people  in  good  humor  with  themselves  and  the  world. 

A  change  in  administration  was  needed,  as  Tennyson  ex¬ 
presses  it:  “Lest  one  good  custom  should  corrupt  the  world.” 
It  was  felt  among  the  well-informed  that  Archbishop  Corrigan 
would  provide  the  change  without  the  usual  ill-effects  involved 
in  a  peaceful  revolution.  He  had  been  trained  in  Rome,  which 
was  a  distinction  thirty  years  ago,  and  is  always  an  advantage 
to  an  ecclesiastic;  and,  as  a  native,  he  understood  his  own  country 
and  people,  and  had  influential  connections  everywhere.  Had 
the  contemporary  prophet  declared  in  the  year  1885  that  his 
reign  would  witness  greater  troubles  than  in  all  the  preceding 
years,  that  dangerous  dissensions,  from  which  the  past  had  been 
entirely  free,  would  arise  to  aid  schism,  and  that  no  part  of  his 
career  would  henceforth  be  free  from  strife,  such  a  prophet  would 
have  been  laughed  at;  and  yet  the  prediction  would  have  been 
literally  true.  New  York  became  a  centre  of  storm  during  his 
administration.  We  are  too  near  the  period  to  speculate  on  the 
causes,  and  many  of  the  actors  in  the  troubled  drama  are  still 
living  from  whom  any  explanation  of  the  phenomenon  would 
be  certain  to  invite  protest. 

On  some  points  all  parties  are  agreed.  The  young  Arch¬ 
bishop  was  a  saintly  and  studious  cleric;  a  lover  of  regularity  and 
routine  in  the  performance  of  his  daily  work;  and  well-acquainted 
with  the  wisdom  of  the  books.  In  his  boyhood  and  youth  he 
had  been  of  a  sweet,  almost  feminine  temperament,  shy  among 
boys  of  his  own  age,  and  had  grown  to  manhood  with  these  char¬ 
acteristics.  He  never  knew  men  as  one  who  had  lived  among 


416  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


them,  fought  with  them,  and  come  off  sometimes  the  victor  and 
often  the  vanquished.  He  depended  more  in  his  executive  work 
upon  himself  and  his  system  than  upon  his  assistants.  He  had 
ambition,  and  confidence  in  himself,  and,  perhaps,  never  suspected 
his  lack  of  practical  knowledge  of  men. 

Not  to  know  mankind  and  its  capacity  for  mischief  is  a 
common  fault  of  the  clergy,  which  accounts  for  the  great  blunders 
of  history,  connected  with  them.  The  priest  is  inclined  to  think 
well  of  every  one.  Archbishop  Corrigan  had  that  failing  at  the 
beginning  of  his  career;  therefore,  he  was  often  deceived  in  his 
estimate  of  men,  in  his  estimate  of  events,  in  the  far-reaching 
consequences  of  his  own  acts.  This  deficiency  will  account 
partly  for  the  troubles  of  his  administration.  The  seeds  had 
already  been  planted,  and  a  good  harvest  wTas  ready  for  the 
mower.  At  any  time  it  requires  only  an  over-confident  leader 
to  throw  the  multitude  into  turmoil.  But  none  of  these  dire 
things  was  thought  of  in  the  early  days  of  Dr.  Corrigan’s  ad¬ 
ministration.  He  took  up  his  work  with  the  energy  of  youth 
and  enthusiasm,  an  energy  that  never  left  him  until  his  untimely 
death.  He  followed  faithfully  his  rule  of  life,  alternate  work  and 
prayer,  as  if  living  in  a  community.  Nothing  was  permitted  to 
interrupt  it.  He  loved  order,  precision,  regularity,  continuation 
in  all  things.  He  proceeded  to  introduce  these  fine  qualities  into 
each  department  of  the  diocese.  As  he  was  no  fanatic  in  any¬ 
thing,  being  of  an  equable  and  well-balanced  temperament,  he 
gave  to  each  subject  the  same  careful  attention.  Amid  the  excite¬ 
ment  prevailing  at  various  times  the  routine  of  his  bureau  never 
failed.  The  whole  diocese  felt  the  force  of  this  personal  atten¬ 
tion  to  detail  of  administration;  and  if  the  various  departments 
be  examined  at  this  moment  it  will  be  found  that  their  form  and 
procedure  came  mostly  from  him. 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


417 


His  earliest  work  was  the  legislation  of  the  Fifth  Synod,  in 
which  he  summed  up  finely  the  legislation  of  the  past  and  promul¬ 
gated  the  new  legislation  which  had  sprung  from  the  Third  Plen¬ 
ary  Council  of  Baltimore.  It  was  so  complete  that  the  other 
synods  of  his  reign  merely  echoed  it,  having  only  a  passing  im¬ 
portance.  The  list  of  the  officials  of  the  Fifth  Synod,  the  various 
officers  chosen  for  the  council  and  other  posts,  show  the  gener¬ 
ous  views  with  which  he  had  begun  his  work;  all  were  representa¬ 
tive  men,  some  from  the  old  regime,  of  varying  views;  but  diver¬ 
gence  of  views  at  that  date  meant  merely  the  healthy  action  of 
thought  and  personality.  The  bitterness  of  partisanship  was 
not  yet  born.  Probably  no  more  brilliant  and  efficient  synod 
had  so  far  been  held  in  the  country,  and  it  promulgated  loyally 
and  strongly  the  new  regulations  of  Baltimore.  Moreover,  the 
Archbishop  saw  to  it  that  the  decrees  became  the  custom  as  well 
as  the  law. 

In  the  matter  of  education  he  introduced  the  present  method 
of  school  management,  with  its  school-board,  superintendents, 
standard  examinations,  and  all  the  other  improvements  which 
mark  progress  over  earlier  years;  he  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
preparatory  college  for  boys  intending  to  be  priests,  and  built 
the  fine  Dunwoodie  Seminary;  and  withal  he  tempered  his  zeal 
with  much  prudence  in  the  matter  of  education,  preferring  to  be 
second  in  the  point  of  numerous  schools  and  large  attendance 
rather  than  incur  heavy  debts  by  large  expenditures.  In  treating 
the  theory  of  Catholic  education  his  views,  as  shall  be  seen  later 
on,  did  not  harmonize  with  his  practice;  of  which  the  explan¬ 
ation  naturally  is  that  theories  meet  with  no  obstacles  in  their 
verbal  expression,  but  with  many,  and  some  insuperable,  when 
put  into  action. 

He  favored  the  establishment  of  the  religious  communities. 


418  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


and  gave  time  and  thought  to  their  advancement.  The  general 
works  of  charity  he  placed  under  the  supervision  of  a  superinten¬ 
dent,  and  watched  their  progress  and  efficiency  with  the  interest 
of  a  superior  and  a  generous  heart.  His  own  benefactions  would 
alone  have  rendered  him  illustrious.  His  inherited  wealth  was 
considerable.  He  gave  nine  thousand  dollars  to  Seton  Hall  to 
found  a  burse,  ten  thousand  dollars  to  the  seminary  library,  a 
beautiful  altar  to  the  Cathedral,  and  sixty  thousand  dollars  to 
build  the  chapel  of  the  Dunwoodie  Seminary.  The  clergy  he 
urged  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  correctness  of  living  and 
ever  renewed  activity  in  behalf  of  the  people;  and  the  laity  he 
encouraged  in  their  efforts  for  better  organization.  Both  were 
brought  close  to  him  by  his  exact  system  of  transacting  business, 
and  by  his  personal  interest.  It  was  not  until  1895  that  he 
secured  an  auxiliary  bishop,  so  that  for  fifteen  years  he  travelled 
from  parish  to  parish  confirming  the  children,  dedicating  churches 
and  chapels,  and  coming  into  intimate  contact  with  priests  and 
people.  His  industry  was  remarkable,  and  his  interest  in  all 
details  of  parish  life  quickened  the  work  of  the  pastors.  He 
had  a  genius  and  love  for  administrative  detail.  Nothing  escaped 
him,  and  every  part  of  the  diocesan  system,  every  person  con¬ 
nected  with  it,  felt  his  stimulating  touch.  His  chief  work  was 
this  effective  and  minute  organization  of  the  diocese.  He  worked 
at  its  perfection  to  the  last  moment,  and  the  calamities  of  his 
career  never  interrupted  or  disturbed  its  progress.  Men  may 
disagree  about  his  character,  his  motives,  his  achievement,  as 
they  please;  but  this  distinction  belongs  to  him  that  he  built  up 
an  almost  perfect  diocese  by  steady  and  faithful  labor.  A  read¬ 
ing  of  the  chapters  which  follow  will  show  the  breadth  of  his 
work  in  its  details.  Churches,  chapels  and  stations  increased  by 
nearly  two  hundred;  the  priests  increased  by  nearly  three  hundred; 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


419 


seventy-five  new  schools  were  opened;  thirty  new  charities  were 
begun,  in  the  form  of  day-nurseries,  homes  for  immigrants,  for 
deaf-mutes,  for  the  blind,  for  orphaned  or  destitute  children; 
and  the  whole  was  further  enriched  by  increase  of  quality  and 
effective  administration. 

Results  were  brought  about  with  very  little  friction.  His 
courtesy  and  gentleness  smoothed  the  exercise  of  authority,  and 
complainers  and  petitioners  found  him  ready  to  listen  to  their 
longest  protests.  He  believed  in  the  prompt  and  vigorous  use  of 
his  episcopal  power,  and  he  expected  as  prompt  obedience.  Not 
until  sharp  experience  had  taught  him,  was  he  able  to  appreciate 
the  modifications  that  circumstances  introduce  into  ancient  tradi¬ 
tions.  He  fell  foul  of  the  most  thorny  questions,  and  never  could 
understand  why  they  did  not  yield  to  his  simple  fiat.  He  knew 
little  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  of  the  temper  of  the  people,  of 
the  currents  of  thought  and  feeling  dominating  the  American 
world.  Nor  did  he  care  to  know.  He  kept  away  from  the  public 
eye,  content  with  just  his  diocese,  his  regular  and  busy  life,  and 
the  intimacy  of  a  few  friends.  He  had  little  taste  for  the  delicate 
and  useful  methods  employed  by  Cardinal  Gibbons  in  dealing 
with  the  interested  public;  for  Archbishop  Ireland’s  open  and 
candid  assault  on  an  enemy,  or  vigorous  instruction  to  inquirers, 
he  had  no  little  distrust.  It  was  against  his  will  that  he  became 
involved  in  matters  of  national  and  international  interest.  He 
kept  away  from  all  movements  that  did  not  originate  in  his  own 
diocese  and  could  not  be  controlled  by  diocesan  powers. 

A  prelate  of  this  character  had  no  difficulty  in  managing  his 
diocese,  and  bringing  it  near  perfection.  His  hard  and  system¬ 
atic  work  produced  striking  improvement  in  time,  abuses  were 
wiped  out,  the  new  order  came  into  being,  and  the  new  men  came 
with  it.  The  same  success  did  not  greet  him  in  his  dealings  with 


420  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


general  questions.  He  had  not  been  in  charge  of  the  diocese  a 
year  when  the  McGlynn  difficulty  arose,  and  out  of  it  sprang 
ten  others  to  plague  his  whole  career  and  rob  him  of  comfort. 

All  that  has  just  been  said  on  his  lack  of  knowledge  of  men, 
and  of  his  own  times,  finds  illustration  in  the  beginning  and  prog¬ 
ress  of  the  unfortunate  affair.  Dr.  Edward  McGlynn  was  a 
priest  of  national  prominence  and  wide  influence,  for  years  he  had 
been  the  orator  of  the  Catholic  people,  the  defender  of  the  faith 
and  of  the  Holy  See,  and  his  voice  reached  farthest  of  all  save 
that  of  Cardinal  Gibbons.  He  was  in  good  standing,  and  had 
only  one  marked  failing,  that  he  did  not  believe  the  church  school 
was  a  necessity.  It  was  a  question  of  method,  not  of  doctrine. 
He  had  become  interested  in  social  questions,  and  particularly  in 
the  ancient  problem  of  private  ownership  in  land;  and  he  had 
addressed  various  meetings  in  behalf  of  his  theories.  A  prelate 
acquainted  with  the  times  and  the  people,  considerate  of  the 
eminent  place  occupied  by  Dr.  McGlynn,  would  have  endured 
much  before  hurling  a  suspension  from  priestly  duties  at  such  a 
man;  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  social  theories  which  interested 
Dr.  McGlynn,  neither  then  nor  later,  with  all  the  glamour  of 
Henry  George’s  eloquent  writings,  had  any  real  hold  on  the  sym¬ 
pathies  or  the  understanding  of  the  people.  The  experienced 
priests  placed  no  emphasis  on  the  doings  of  Dr.  McGlynn.  For 
disobedience  Archbishop  Corrigan  suspended  secretly  the  most 
distinguished  cleric  of  the  time,  shortly  before  the  Fifth  Synod 
in  1886. 

It  must  have  astounded  him  to  see  the  proportions  of  the 
storm  which  arose,  when  Dr.  McGlynn  had  been  dismissed  from 
his  parish  and  had  fallen  under  the  ban  of  excommunication.  In 
his  mind  there  had  been  only  the  question  of  obedience  on  the 
part  of  a  priest  of  the  diocese.  He  had  sought  and  obtained 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


421 


advice  on  the  matter.  His  most  influential  counsellors  thought 
the  time  had  come  to  put  an  end  to  the  public  vaporings  of  Dr. 
McGlynn.  A  noted  prelate  went  on  record  with  the  state¬ 
ment  that  Dr.  McGlynn  should  have  been  suspended  fifteen 
years  earlier.  The  Archbishop  thought  the  affair  would  take  the 
usual  course,  remain  strictly  a  diocesan  matter,  and  benefit  in 
the  end  all  parties.  Undoubtedly,  his  advisers  thought  the  same; 
but  they  learned  very  quickly  from  the  denunciations  in  every 
quarter  that  the  trouble  was  more  than  domestic.  Many  sup¬ 
porters  and  sympathizers  with  the  Irish  movements  of  the  period 
believed  that  Dr.  McGlynn  suffered  for  his  advocacy  of  the  Land 
League;  the  advocates  of  the  labor  movement  felt  sure  his  ex- 
communication  was  a  blow  at  their  organization;  and  the  theo¬ 
rists  who  followed  Henry  George  maintained  that  the  blow  was 
aimed  at  them.  The  Archbishop  found  himself  charged  with 
enmity  to  persons  and  schemes  of  which  he  knew  little  or  nothing. 

The  Cardinal  Simeoni,  Prefect  of  Propaganda  to  Leo  XIII, 
was  known  to  have  little  love  for  the  various  political  and  social 
schemes  of  the  Parnellite  movement  in  Ireland.  It  was  charged 
that  he  felt  happy  to  strike  the  man  who  had  helped  to  make 
the  Land  League  a  success  in  the  United  States.  Michael 
Davitt  did  not  hesitate  to  say  so  in  a  Cooper  Union  meeting  in 
1887,  although  later  he  withdrew  it  with  an  apology.  The  Car¬ 
dinal,  along  with  the  Archbishop,  then  became  the  target  of  abuse 
for  the  wilder  spirits  in  all  parties.  The  storm  was  not  confined 
to  New  York,  but  spread  throughout  the  entire  country.  The 
journals  fanned  the  flame  with  sensational  reports,  and  made 
the  quiet-loving  Archbishop  the  most  noted  man  in  America. 
He  sent  Rev.  Arthur  Donnelly  to  take  charge  of  St.  Stephen’s 
parish,  with  a  view  to  the  better  settling  of  its  accounts,  which 
were  thought  to  be  in  bad  condition.  Probably  no  pastor  would 


422  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

have  been  welcome  just  then  to  the  irritated  people,  but  Father 
Donnelly  in  particular,  as  an  advocate  of  strong  measures  against 
their  late  pastor,  was  utterly  distasteful.  Their  violence  made 
the  administration  of  the  parish  difficult,  and  he  resumed  his 

former  parish  of  St.  Michael  s. 

The  clergy  had  been  passive  spectators  of  these  sensational 
events,  and  not  all  were  in  sympathy  with  the  summary  methods 
employed  against  Dr.  McGlynn.  The  Archbishop’s  council  had 
not  been  unanimous.  Besides  the  imprudence  of  such  measures 
the  signs  of  storm  warned  every  one  of  the  dangers  that  threatened. 

The  clergy  were  not  shaken  in  their  customary  loyalty  to  the 
head  of  the  diocese.  The  friends  of  Dr.  McGlynn  were  out¬ 
spoken  in  criticism  of  the  wrong  done  him,  but  they  also  labored 
to  bring  him  to  reason;  the  many  who  were  indebted  to  him  for 
favors  supported  him  in  his  abasement  but  not  in  his  revolt. 
The  mischief-makers  in  the  journals  and  among  the  political 
partisans  of  Dr.  McGlynn  had  been  loud  in  asserting  that  the 
clergy  were  opposed  to  the  Archbishop.  To  offset  this  unfounded 
charge,  it  was  proposed  that  an  address  should  be  presented  to 
Dr.  Corrigan  from  his  clergy,  assuring  him  of  their  loyalty  and 
their  approbation  of  his  attitude.  Three  addresses  were  finally 
presented,  one  from  the  religious  communities,  a  second  from 
the  clergy  speaking  other  tongues  than  English,  and  a  third  from 
the  other  diocesan  priests.  The  friends  of  Dr.  McGlynn  refused 
to  sign,  because  they  did  not  approve  of  the  Archbishop’s  action 
against  him;  a  few  contended  that  the  very  charge  which  the 
address  denied  should  not  be  noticed  at  all;  still  others  refused 
to  sign  because  it  looked  like  approbation  of  a  course  most  dis¬ 
tasteful  to  them  as  priests,  although  they  had  no  sympathy  with 
Dr.  McGlynn. 

The  situation  became  so  alarming  in  time  as  to  invite  the 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


423 


action  of  outsiders.  The  Archbishop  tried  to  keep  it  a  purely 
diocesan  affair  still,  but  events  were  against  him.  The  clamors 
of  the  political  and  social  organizations  supporting  Dr.  McGlynn 
were  heard  on  the  boundaries,  and  the  leading  prelates  of  the 
country  lent  their  aid  to  bring  the  scandal  to  an  end.  Arch¬ 
bishop  Satolli  came  to  the  United  States  as  Delegate  Apostolic 
in  1892,  empowered  to  deal  with  Dr.  McGlynn.  He  completed 
all  the  details  in  a  few  months,  Dr.  McGlynn  made  his  submis¬ 
sion,  his  excommunication  was  removed,  and  he  visited  Rome 
to  let  the  world  see  that  his  faith  had  not  wavered.  Out  of  this 
trouble  sprang  another,  not  directly  connected  with  it,  yet  having 
some  affiliation.  Dr.  McGlynn  had  steadily  opposed  the  church 
school  as  unnecessary,  burdensome,  and  reactionary,  but  his 
opposition  had  not  affected  the  growth  of  the  schools.  His  criti¬ 
cism  had  even  stimulated  their  patrons  to  greater  efforts.  The 
practical  clergy,  interested  in  the  schools  and  yet  apprehensive 
of  the  financial  burden,  had  long  been  studying  methods  by 
which  the  aid  of  the  state  could  be  secured  for  the  church 
schools.  There  was  one  plan  in  good  working  order  at  Pough¬ 
keepsie,  and  another  in  Faribault  under  the  nursing  care  of  Arch¬ 
bishop  Ireland,  of  St.  Paul.  The  clergy  favored  these  compro¬ 
mises  on  the  principle  that  half  a  loaf  is  better  than  no  bread. 

The  compromise  school  suddenly  became  a  question  of  general 
interest  when  Archbishop  Ireland  asked  approval  of  it  at  a  meeting 
of  the  archbishops  in  St.  Louis,  and  when  Archbishop  Corrigan 
exerted  his  utmost  influence  against  it.  A  storm  of  discussion 
arose,  pamphlets  filled  the  air,  and  the  question  was  carried  to 
Rome.  The  authorities  there  decided  that  the  compromise 
school  could  be  tolerated,  a  decision  which  Archbishop  Corrigan 
at  first  took  for  a  condemnation,  but  which  really,  as  he  learned 
later,  gave  the  compromise  school  a  legal  standing  in  the  Catholic 


424  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

community.  The  controversy  was  finally  closed,  by  Archbishop 
Satolli  at  a  meeting  of  the  archbishops  held  in  New  York  in  the 
fall  of  1893,  and  an  effort  was  made  to  please  both  parties  by 
declaring  the  church  school  the  standard  of  achievement,  to¬ 
wards  which  all  should  strive,  while  the  compromise  school 
should  be  regarded  as  an  expedient  suited  to  difficult  circum¬ 
stances.  The  decision  met  with  more  or  less  favor,  but  its  arti¬ 
cles  were  well-nigh  forgotten  the  next  decade.  There  seemed, 
however,  to  be  no  end  to  public  excitement;  as  the  school  question 
followed  the  McGlynn  episode,  so  the  clamor  over  Archbishop 
Satolli  followed  the  school  question;  and  the  peaceful  Church 
in  America  was  given  up  to  impolitic  and  dangerous  controversy 
on  questions  that  could  have  been  discussed  and  settled  in  a  day 
by  temperate  leaders. 

The  Delegate  was  sent  to  quiet  controversy,  but  his  presence 
seemed  only  to  increase  it,  until  he  himself  became  alarmed  at 
a  situation  which  no  one  seemed  able  to  direct  or  control.  The 
American  press  is  expert  in  the  art  of  creating  and  continuing 
sensations,  and  its  work  in  the  McGlynn  affair  and  consequences 
flowing  from  that  affair  reached  the  point  of  diabolism.  The 
Archbishop  was  represented  as  bitterly  hostile  to  Delegate  Satolli, 
as  the  inspiration  of  all  the  attacks  upon  him,  as  determined  to 
bring  his  mission  to  an  ignoble  end;  and  charges  were  brought 
in  Rome  that  Dr.  Corrigan  had  been  false  to  his  episcopal  oath 
in  consequence  of  his  hostility.  To  show  the  falsity  of  these 
accusations  he  invited  the  Delegate  to  officiate  in  St.  Patrick’s 
cathedral  on  August  15  of  the  year  1893,  and  at  this  splendid 
function  he  delivered  an  address  of  fidelity  and  devotion  to  the 
Holy  See,  of  respect  to  its  representative  in  the  United  States, 
which  put  an  end  to  newspaper  scandal  and  closed  the  Satolli 
incident.  The  Delegate  was  afterwards  a  regular  visitor  to  the 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


425 


Archbishop,  and  got  a  better  understanding  of  his  quiet  disposi¬ 
tion  and  kindly  soul. 

His  experience  in  dealing  with  the  Cahensly  affair  took  a 
happier  turn.  Herr  Cahensly  was  a  Catholic  philanthropist, 
who  took  deep  interest  in  the  spiritual  condition  of  German  emi¬ 
grants,  and  visited  the  countries  to  which  they  had  emigrated 
to  study  for  himself  their  situation.  He  made  a  report  of  con¬ 
ditions  in  America  to  the  Holy  See,  in  the  shape  of  a  memorial 
not  at  all  flattering  to  the  leading  members  of  the  American  hier¬ 
archy,  who  were  accused  of  indifference  to  the  spintual  welfaie 
of  their  German  people.  His  suggestion  was  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  German  bishops,  with  other  recommendations  of 
minor  importance.  The  action  of  the  archbishops  of  the  countiy 
against  Herr  Cahensly  and  his  memorial  was  prompt  and  crush¬ 
ing,  and  in  that  action  Dr.  Corrigan  not  only  heartily  concurred 
but  exerted  himself  to  provide  arguments  and  statistics  in  answer 
to  those  of  Herr  Cahensly.  Cahenslyism,  as  it  was  called,  insin¬ 
uated  itself  into  all  the  important  questions  of  this  exciting  period ; 
it  appeared  in  the  McGlynn  trouble,  it  opposed  the  compromise 
school,  it  hampered  Delegate  Satolli,  and  it  finally  introduced 
discord  into  the  Catholic  University  at  Washington,  where  Mon- 
signor  Schroeder  gave  it  voice  and  standing,  and  in  consequence 
was  compelled  to  resign.  Archbishop  Corrigan  unwisely  gave 
him  his  support  and  his  vote,  although  the  interests  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity,  the  majority  of  the  Trustees,  and  his  own  vicar-general, 
Monsignor  Farley,  were  arrayed  on  the  other  side.  His  action 
gave  aid  to  a  spirit  that  still  troubles  the  repose  of  the  Church, 
and  is  bound  to  reappear  while  European  immigration  continues. 

All  these  disturbances  finally  converged  into  the  dispute  on 
Americanism,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  fix  a  formal  heiesy 
on  the  Church  in  the  United  States,  the  first  in  its  history. 


426  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


A  hundred  years  the  Church  had  thrived  in  the  Republic 
without  the  sad  distinction  of  formulating  a  heresy  peculiar  to 
its  conditions,  and,  as  it  were,  smacking  of  the  soil.  Not  that 
there  had  been  any  lack  of  heresy-hunters,  of  whom  the  world 
always  has  enough  and  to  spare.  A  distinguished  American 
writer  and  thinker,  asked  if  he  read  a  certain  book  of  Newman’s, 
replied:  “I  never  read  heretics.”  The  note  of  heresy  once 
attached  to  a  method  or  a  movement,  opponents  may  call  upon 
the  authorities  to  destroy  it,  may  demand  action,  and  threaten 
consequences.  The  whole  force  of  authority  may  thus  be  exerted 
against  something  insignificant,  even  non-existent,  and  the  un¬ 
worthy  and  imaginative  may  employ  the  giant  to  crush  a  mos¬ 
quito  or  the  air.  It  is  too  early  to  write  the  history  of  Ameri¬ 
canism,  which  drew  a  letter  from  Pope  Leo  XIII,  containing  a 
distinction  between  commendable  and  heretical  Americanism;  but 
this  letter  provoked  from  the  leading  prelates  of  the  country  an 
individual  protest  to  the  Pope  against  attaching  the  note  of 
heresy  just  then  to  anything  in  the  United  States. 

From  this  summary  it  may  be  seen  that  Dr.  Corrigan’s  abil¬ 
ities  were  of  a  most  varied  character.  His  success  as  the  execu¬ 
tive  of  a  great  diocese  was  remarkable;  his  failure  in  the  forum 
of  the  Church  was  due  to  lack  of  knowledge  of  men.  With 
the  best  intentions  in  the  world,  he  caused  more  controversy  in 
a  decade  than  the  Catholic  body  had  known  in  its  history.  With 
time,  his  administration  passed  into  the  ways  of  peace.  More 
experienced  and  generous  clerics  entered  his  council.  Monsignor 
John  Farley  became  his  vicar-general  on  the  death  of  Monsignor 
Preston,  and  Rev.  Joseph  F.  Mooney  succeeded  Monsignor  Don¬ 
nelly  as  the  second  vicar-general;  the  deceased  officials,  although 
experienced  and  pious  men,  had  to  shoulder  much  of  the  blame 
for  recent  troubles,  owing  to  their  narrowness  of  view;  their  sue- 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


427 


cessors  brought  to  office  more  breadth  of  mind  and  tolerance  of 
irritating  conditions.  Monsignor  Farley  had  been  the  peace¬ 
maker  throughout  the  recent  controversies, (had  protested  against 
severity  and  haste  in  dealing  with  Dr.  McGlynn,  had  objected 
to  the  clerical  addresses'^  had  placated  the  Delegate  and  explained 
away  difficulties  for  everybody,  and  had  done  his  utmost  to  bring 
the  apparently  endless  disputes  to  a  termination.  His  colleague 
was  a  younger  man  of  influence  among  the  younger  clergy,  direct 
and  candid  in  temperament,  an  eloquent  speaker  with  ideas  and 
ideals,  and  thoroughly  representative  of  the  modern  clergy.  Asso¬ 
ciated  with  these  two  officials  were  such  members  of  the  council 
as  Father  Edwards  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Father  Mc- 
Gean  of  St.  Peter’s,  Father  Flood  of  St.  John’s,  and  Father  Col¬ 
ton  of  St.  Stephen’s;  all  practical  men  and  much  better 
acquainted  with  the  world  and  its  agents  than  the  Archbishop. 

Advised  by  these  sincere  priests,  whose  advice  was  sustained 
by  the  clergy  and  people  in  general,  the  last  years  of  Archbishop 
Corrigan  were  years  of  peace.  The  progress  of  the  diocesan 
works  had  never  suffered  by  his  ventures  into  the  general  field, 
his  daily  routine  had  never  been  broken.  He  had  begun  the 
work  of  completing  the  cathedral,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
seeing  its  noble  towers  rise,  its  chimes  hung,  the  interior  hand¬ 
somely  decorated  with  altars  and  statues  and  stations  of  the  cross, 
and  the  completion  of  the  apse,  known  as  the  Lady  Chapel,  got 
under  way.  He  saw  the  new  seminary  of  St.  Joseph  at  Dun- 
woodie  opened,  a  splendid  structure,  probably  the  finest  in  the 
world,  into  which  he  had  turned  the  main  portion  of  his  in¬ 
herited  property.  Its  cost  had  been  originally  estimated  at  half 
a  million,  but  before  its  completion  the  expense  had  mounted 
to  over  a  million.  It  was  his  pride  and  his  joy. 

As  a  feeder  to  it  he  made  plans  to  open  a  preparatory  college 


428  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


in  the  city,  whose  sole  work  should  be  the  training  of  boys  with 
a  vocation  for  the  priesthood.  He  cherished  the  European  idea 
that  boys  intended  for  the  service  of  the  altar  should  be  set  apart 
from  their  earliest  age,  trained  by  special  methods,  guided  by 
special  teachers,  and  uplifted  by  the  loftiest  standards.  His  suc¬ 
cessor  carried  out  his  plans.  The  diocesan  orphan  asylums  were 
his  particular  care  and  delight.  The  city  institutions  were  sold, 
and  two  new  buildings  were  erected  in  the  country  district  of  the 
city;  and  with  the  profits  of  the  sale  he  was  enabled  to  establish 
a  fund  which  would  support  the  asylums  in  perpetuity.  Freed 
from  the  daily  annoyances  of  the  era  of  controversy,  he  went 
about  his  diocese  engaged  in  the  work  of  confirmation  and  visi¬ 
tation,  in  which  he  always  took  great  pleasure;  he  officiated  fre¬ 
quently  in  other  dioceses,  where  he  was  stared  at  with  intense 
interest,  for  no  cleric  had  ever  been  more  thoroughly  and  vi¬ 
ciously  exploited  by  the  press,  and  people  wondered,  as  they 
studied  his  calm  face  and  gracious  manner,  how  the  press  could 
have  made  him  out  so  aggressive  and  tyrannical.  They  did 
not  know  the  press. 

Amid  these  peaceful  times  came  his  episcopal  jubilee  in  the 
September  of  1898.  It  offered  a  good  opportunity  to  empha¬ 
size  the  reign  of  a  new  harmony.  A  splendid  ceremony  in  the 
cathedral  was  attended  by  the  distinguished  prelates  and  priests 
of  the  country,  and  the  auxiliary  bishop,  Dr.  Farley,  empha¬ 
sized  the  concord  of  the  new  time,  and  the  esteem  of  clergy  and 
people,  by  presenting  the  Archbishop  with  a  check  for  $250,000 
to  remove  the  debt  on  the  seminary.  At  the  public  gathering 
in  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  the  most  eminent  citizens  of 
New  York  eulogized  him  with  warmth  and  sincerity.  His  in¬ 
fluence  socially  had  always  been  large,  and  the  leaders  in  every 
department  had  come  to  hold  him  in  the  highest  esteem,  although 
he  had  rather  avoided  the  public  ways. 


THE  THIRD  ARCHBISHOP 


429 


Two  years  later  a  significant  and  pathetic  scene  occurred 
at  the  funeral  of  Dr.  Edward  McGlynn.  The  Archbishop  had 
hastened  to  his  death-bed,  but  did  not  arrive  in  time  to  bid  him 
farewell.  He  presided  at  the  funeral  obsequies  held  in  St. 
Stephen’s  in  January  of  1900. 

Dr.  Corrigan  visited  Rome  and  the  Holy  Land  that  year, 
and  was  well  received  by  Pope  Leo  and  Cardinal  Rampolla, 
despite  the  events  of  the  past  decade.  It  was  said  everywhere 
that  he  would  be  the  next  American  cardinal,  not  only  as  the 
chief  of  a  great  diocese  and  the  benefactor  of  the  Holy  See,  but 
as  the  able  executive  and  generous  patron  under  whom  the  dio¬ 
cese  had  increased  in  efficiency  and  glory.  Doubtless  had  his 
administration  reached  to  1905  the  honor  would  have  been  con¬ 
ferred.  He  never  troubled  himself  about  honors,  which  had 
come  to  him  plentifully  without  effort  on  his  part.  He  returned 
to  his  laborious  life,  to  its  pious  and  studious  routine,  to  its  up¬ 
building  of  people  and  clergy  and  diocese;  a  quiet  and  chastened 
man,  still  in  wonderment  over  his  experience  in  the  world’s  arena; 
loved  and  respected  by  his  friends  and  neighbors;  esteemed  by 
his  clergy  and  people  for  his  courtesy,  his  refinement,  his  fair¬ 
ness,  his  personal  interest  in  their  welfare,  and  his  sanctified 
life.  In  the  years  of  peace  his  fine  traits  came  out  clearly,  and 
fairly  banished  the  clouds  of  the  evil  days. 


St.  Paul’s  Church 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


T1 


William  R.  Grace 


|HE  clergy  were  first  to  feel  the 
stimulating  energy  and  systematic 
administration  of  Archbishop  Corrigan. 
The  work  of  Hughes  had  been  to 
gather  together  a  priesthood  from  all 
nations ;  of  McCloskey  to  found  a  native 
priesthood;  it  was  specially  the  work  of 
Dr.  Corrigan  to  set  for  them  a  high 
standard  of  living  and  working.  His 
own  example  was  potent.  A  perfect 
gentleman  in  dress,  speech,  and  man¬ 
ner,  he  led  the  regular  life  of  a  community  priest,  and  worked 
without  thought  of  time-limit  or  vacation.  The  clergy,  feeling 
the  power  of  that  example,  were  well  disposed  to  follow  it. 
Before  the  end  of  his  administration  they  became  a  very  cosmo¬ 
politan  body;  natives  of  Ireland,  Germany,  Belgium,  France, 
Quebec,  Italy,  Poland,  Bohemia,  Hungary,  and  Syria;  the  Irish 
were  dominant  by  the  fact  that  the  native  clergy  were  mostly  of 
their  blood,  but  the  Irish-born  had  lost  their  preeminence  both 
by  the  increase  of  the  native  clergy  and  the  invasion  of  the  other 
Europeans. 

Refinement  of  manners  became  a  common  clerical  virtue,  and  a 
moderate  love  of  culture  prevailed.  The  art  of  preaching,  always 
popular,  was  cultivated  with  some  care.  Long  sermons  disap¬ 
peared,  elocution  improved,  and  the  choice  of  subjects  showed 
greater  variety;  these  lacked  adaptation  to  the  needs  of  the  times, 

(430) 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


431 


so  that  once  the  gospel  was  read  or  the  text  announced,  as  a  critic 
observed,  the  form  of  the  discourse  was  foreseen  by  the  congrega¬ 
tion.  The  preaching  was  not  only  better  in  quality,  it  was  also 
more  frequent,  and  reflected  naturally  the  increasing  culture. 

The  clergy  began  to  write,  and  to  contribute  somewhat  to 
the  current  literature.  Monsignor  Bernard  O’Reilly  wrote 
letters  of  travel  for  the  Sun,  composed  useful  books,  and  pub¬ 
lished  a  creditable  though  eulogistic  life  of  Leo  XIII.  Dr. 
Reuben  Parsons  sent  out  many  volumes  on  the  history  of  the 
Church,  painstaking  and  interesting,  the  only  work  of  the  kind 
done  in  the  country.  Dr.  Henry  A.  Brann  contributed  valuable 
articles  on  passing  subjects  to  the  reviews;  Monsignor  Preston 
regularly  published  his  dignified  sermons;  Dr.  McQuirk  also 
printed  two  volumes  of  sermons;  Rev.  Thomas  Kinkead  issued 
a  very  useful  book  on  the  catechism  for  the  benefit  of  teachers ; 
a  half  score  of  others  produced  novels,  poetry,  popular  essays, 
and  translations;  the  Archbishop  occasionally  ventured  into  the 
field  and  proved  himself  a  clever  writer.  Around  the  three  mag¬ 
azines  published  by  the  Dominicans,  the  Paulists,  and  the  Jesuits, 
namely  the  Rosary,  the  Messenger,  and  the  Catholic  World,  the 
literary  priests  grouped  themselves,  and  did  very  creditable  and 
useful  work;  of  the  ephemeral  kind  for  the  most  part,  but  show¬ 
ing  the  natural  leaven  working,  and  giving  hope  for  the  future. 
It  broke  a  tradition  of  prejudice  that  had  grown  up  in  the  diocese 
against  the  literary  priest,  which  began  in  the  administration  of 
Bishop  Dubois,  who  had  been  vastly  annoyed  by  the  journalism 
of  Father  Levins;  his  annoyance  had  communicated  itself  to  Dr. 
McCloskey;  and  thence  arose  a  suspicion  of  the  literary  priest, 
strong  enough  to  repress  the  inspiration  of  those  who  desired  a 
happy  career  in  the  diocese. 

This  repression  was  not  a  bad  thing  in  itself,  as  it  kept  the 


432  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


ruder  sort  from  the  holy  shades  of  Parnassus.  The  clergy  were 
now  admitted  into  a  larger  share  in  the  diocesan  administration, 
and  began  to  lose  the  defects  of  a  too  parochial  training.  Six 
men  sat  in  the  council  of  the  Archbishop;  were  frequently  con¬ 
sulted,  and  regularly  deputed  to  certain  executive  work  as  com¬ 
mittees;  and  the  position  of  councillor  became  one  of  power  as 
well  as  honor.  The  diocese  had  its  chancellor,  its  attorney,  its 
defender  of  the  marriage  bond,  its  moderator  of  conferences,  its 
school  superintendent,  commissioner  of  charities,  board  of  ex¬ 
aminers  for  the  clergy,  examiners  for  teachers,  school  board,  and 
rural  deans.  While  some  of  these  positions  carried  no  respon¬ 
sibility  and  little  labor,  others  meant  work  and  study,  and  all 
required  some  attention.  They  were  the  beginnings  of  that  larger 
work  which  in  time  will  be  demanded  of  the  clergy.  The  synods 
and  councils  of  the  period,  the  varied  training  in  Rome  Troy,  and 
American  colleges,  the  cosmopolitan  character  of  the  whole  body, 
the  consequent  clash  of  opinions,  the  stimulating  lead  of  the 
Archbishop,  had  wakened  the  clergy  to  a  lively  sense  of  their  envi¬ 
ronment.  They  spoke  out  candidly  on  the  questions  of  the  time, 
but  did  not  vehemently  take  sides  in  the  popular  controversies. 

With  the  majority,  the  school  question  had  always  been  an 
open  one  as  to  method,  but  settled  as  to  principle.  Consequently 
Dr.  McGlynn  was  not  popular  with  them  for  his  denunciation 
of  the  church  school  and  of  the  teaching  communities.  His ' 
advocacy  of  the  Henry  George  theories  they  detested,  and  his 
appearance  on  public  platforms  violated  their  sense  of  clerical 
propriety.  At  the  same  time  they  had  no  sympathy  whatever 
with  the  autocratic  treatment  accorded  him,  the  secret  and  public 
suspensions,  the  dismissal  from  his  parish,  and  the  interference 
of  Cardinal  Simeoni.  They  reasoned  practically,  if  such  methods 
may  be  employed  against  a  man  of  eminence,  what  chances  have 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


433 


the  obscure  in  a  legitimate  contest  with  authority  for  individual 
rights?  So  many  factors  entered  into  the  McGlynn  question 
that  confusion  reigned  among  them  for  a  long  time.  The  Land 
League  and  the  Parnell  movement  were  popular  with  the  Irish 
and  their  sympathizers;  therefore  considerable  resentment  was 
felt  against  Cardinal  Simeoni  for  his  too  friendly  attitude  towards 
England  in  the  dispute  over  the  no-rent  manifesto,  and  the 
Parnell  testimonial.  The  school  question  was  considered  an  open 
one  as  to  methods;  the  clergy  of  non-English  communities  favored 
the  church  school  largely,  because  it  upheld  their  native  tongues; 
they  resented  sharply  attacks  upon  and  criticism  of  it;  the  others 
were  not  so  sensitive  or  interested,  but  they  too  resented  public 
disparagement  of  the  church  school.  The  violent  language  of 
Dr.  McGlynn  on  public  platforms  after  his  excommunication 
at  first  rather  amused  them  for  the  caustic  criticism  of  certain 
authorities;  later  it  disgusted  and  angered  them,  since  its  spirit 
seemed  malevolent,  schismatic,  and  reckless;  moreover  there 
was  no  end  to  it.  They  were  a  unit  in  opposition  to  socialism, 
and  sincerely  loyal  to  the  head  of  the  diocese  and  the  head  of 
the  Church. 

The  sensational  press  revelled  in  the  apparent  confusion  and 
disunion  in  the  Catholic  ranks,  and  did  its  uttermost  to  increase 
disorder.  It  loudly  declared  that  the  clergy  were  dissatisfied 
with  Archbishop  Corrigan  to  the  point  of  revolt,  and  were  ask¬ 
ing  the  Pope  to  force  his  resignation.  To  meet  this  charge  the 
zealous  friends  of  the  Archbishop  proposed  an  address  of  loyalty 
from  the  priests  to  their  prelate.  The  address  was  presented,  and 
by  the  time  the  question  had  been  thoroughly  threshed  out  it  had 
branched  into  three:  from  the  clergy  not  English-speaking;  from 
the  community  priests;  and  from  the  clergy  of  the  diocese. 

The  first  began  with  these  words  —  “Your  Grace:  Last 


434  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Saturday  a  liberal  Catholic  (he  calls  himself  O’Donoghue)  made 
the  assertion  in  one  of  the  morning  papers,  that  an  attempt  was 
made  on  the  part  of  authority  to  coerce  the  priests  of  New  York 
to  sign  an  address  to  Your  Grace,  wherein  we  assure  you  of  our 
loyalty  and  obedience,  and  disapprove  of  the  action  of  Rev.  Dr. 
McGlynn  in  the  Henry  George  revolutionary  movement.  Now 
we  declare  the  said  assertion  entirely  false.  We,  the  German 
priests  of  New  York  City,  who  have  signed  the  document,  were 
informed  that  we  were  perfectly  at  liberty  to  sign  or  refuse  our 
signatures.  We  put  out  names  to  the  address  freely  and  without 
compulsion  or  coercion.” 

After  a  few  paragraphs  on  general  principles,  the  address 
continued:  “For  the  last  six  months  the  Catholic  clergy  of 
New  York  have  been  persistently  misrepresented  by  certain 
parties,  as  if  they  were  followers  of  Henry  George  and  sym¬ 
pathizers  of  Rev.  Dr.  IVIcGlynn  in  his  defiant  attitude  to  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  laws  and  constitutional  enactments.  We  have 
borne  these  misrepresentations  patiently,  in  the  hope  that  Dr. 
McGlynn  and  his  followers  might  have  time  to  reflect  and  re¬ 
tract  their  revolutionary  doctrines.  But  when  the  public  papers 
represent  these  men,  in  their  insubordination  to  legitimate  author¬ 
ity,  as  the  representatives  and  champions  of  the  Catholic  priests 
of  New  York,  and  when  our  silence  would  be  taken  as  acquies¬ 
cence,  patience  ceases  to  be  virtue,  and  we  are  forced  by  our 
convictions  and  the  loyalty  and  obedience  we  owe  the  Church 
into  a  solemn  protest  against  the  accusations.”  The  address 
closed  with  an  expression  of  sympathy  with  the  Archbishop  and 
was  signed  by  nearly  sixty  priests. 

This  address  was  presented  on  April  17  of  the  year  1887. 
The  diocesan  clergy  to  the  number  of  two  hundred  assem¬ 
bled  at  the  Cathedral  on  the  morning  of  May  4,  and  presented 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


435 


the  second  address  in  behalf  of  all  the  clergy,  regular  and 
diocesan : 

Most  Reverend  Archbishop  —  “We,  the  priests  of  the 
diocese  of  New  York,  come  before  you  to  express  our  sincere 
attachment  to  you,  and  our  unfeigned  and  cheerful  loyalty  to 
your  authority.  We  recognize  in  you  our  ecclesiastical  superior, 
who,  being  in  communion  with  the  Head  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
the  successor  of  St.  Peter,  lawfully  rule,  teach,  and  judge  this 
portion  of  the  flock  of  Christ,  the  diocese  of  New  York.  Con¬ 
formably  to  the  exhortation  of  St.  Paul,  we  look  up  to  you  as  our 
prelate  who  ‘  speaks  to  us  the  word  of  God,  whose  faith  we  follow.’ 
And  pondering  the  grave  injunction  of  the  same  Apostle,  ‘  Obey 
your  prelates  and  be  subject  to  them.  For  they  watch  as  being  to 
render  an  account  of  your  souls;  that  they  may  do  this  with  joy 
and  not  with  grief.  For  this  is  not  expedient  for  you.’  (Heb.  xiii, 
17.)  We  desire  also  on  this  occasion  to  record  our  emphatic 
disapproval  and  reprobation  of  the  act  of  disobedience  and  dis¬ 
loyalty  to  your  authority,  of  which  a  certain  member  of  our  body 
has  made  himself  guilty  —  an  act  of  disloyalty  aggravated  by  his 
subsequent  course.  We  have  been  patiently  hoping  and  pray¬ 
ing  that  our  dear  brother  would  change  his  mind  and  return  to 
his  Father’s  House;  but,  observing  that  our  charitable  silence 
is  construed  into  acquiescence  in  and  approval  of  disobedience, 
and  that  it  causes  some  surprise  both  here  and  abroad;  learn¬ 
ing  moreover,  that  it  is  publicly  asserted  that  he  is  believed  to 
uphold  the  cause  of  the  clergy  in  general,  we  feel  it  our  duty 
to  make  this  solemn  declaration  to  you,  that  the  clergy  of  the 
diocese  of  New  York  utterly  condemn  all  disobedience  to  law¬ 
fully  constituted  authority,  especially  to  the  authority  of  the 
Church,  and  can  have  no  sympathy  with  the  efforts  of  those 
who  in  any  way  set  that  authority  aside.  Our  motto  shall 


436  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


always  be,  ‘  An  obedient  man  shall  speak  of  victory.’  (Proverbs 
xxi,  28.)” 

The  third  address  was  delivered  the  evening  of  that  day  on 
behalf  of  the  community  clergy,  and  expressed  similar  sentiments 
of  loyalty  to  the  head  of  the  diocese  and  devotion  to  him  per¬ 
sonally.  The  first  effect  of  these  addresses  was  to  silence  the 
accusations  of  disloyalty  against  the  clergy  and  to  comfort  the 
distant  and  disturbed  brethren  who  feared  that  the  New  York 
diocese  was  ripe  for  disastrous  schism;  but  it  did  not  silence  the 
sensational  press,  which  redoubled  its  clamors,  with  the  conten¬ 
tion  that  the  addresses  had  been  forced  upon  the  clergy.  A  few 
days  later  the  address  and  its  sentiments  received  sympathetic 
confirmation  in  the  arrival  of  a  letter  from  Pope  Leo  commend¬ 
ing  the  attitude  of  the  Archbishop;  he  was  at  the  same  time 
appointed  assisting  prelate  at  the  pontifical  throne,  and  for  the 
second  time  Dr.  McGlynn  was  ordered  to  appear  in  Rome.  The 
action  of  the  clergy  impressed  and  pleased  the  political  leaders 
of  the  time  by  its  repudiation  of  socialism  and  Henry  George. 
The  latter  had  somewhat  upset  political  conditions  by  his  appa¬ 
rently  strong  following,  and,  as  most  of  that  following  was  Catho¬ 
lic,  silence  on  the  part  of  the  clergy  would  have  increased  it.  The 
addresses  diminished  it  perhaps  two-thirds,  and  the  Pope’s  letter 
gave  it  the  coup  de  grace. 

Nevertheless,  among  the  clergy  irritation  remained.  Those 
who,  for  any  reason,  had  refused  to  sign  the  address  of  the  dio¬ 
cesan  priests,  were  now  ranked  with  the  opposition,  and  were 
treated  accordingly.  They  formed  two  divisions:  the  personal 
friends  of  Dr.  McGlynn,  who  sympathized  with  his  distress  but 
had  no  sympathy  with  his  methods  and  utterances;  and  all  the 
others,  who  had  no  sympathy  or  regard  for  Dr.  McGlynn  be¬ 
yond  the  ordinary,  and  had  refused  their  signatures  for  reasons 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


437 


independent  of  him  and  his  movement.  The  former  worked 
earnestly  to  bring  him  to  his  normal  senses  and  have  him  place 
his  cause  before  the  ecclesiastical  courts;  and  at  the  same  time 
they  left  nothing  undone  to  discredit  the  Archbishop  and  his 
advisers  at  the  Roman  tribunal.  They  were  a  regular  opposition, 
expecting  no  quarter  and  granting  none.  The  others  remained 
in  the  unhappy  position  of  supporters  of  the  administration,  out 
of  sympathy  with  it  on  one  measure,  and  -consequently  out  of 
favor.  Thus  the  condition  continued  for  many  years,  slowly 
mitigated  by  the  advance  of  time,  but  never  wholly  removed. 

The  greatest  achievement  of  the  clergy  of  this  period  was 
their  development  of  the  modern  parish.  It  has  now  become  a 
commonplace  with  us,  so  that  its  value  is  hardly  appreciated; 
only  when  brought  into  comparison  with  the  ancient  parish  is 
its  complexity  and  worth  recognized.  Forty  years  ago,  the 
ordinary  city  parish  used  but  one  or  two  methods  in  the  sancti¬ 
fication  of  the  people,  and  in  the  upholding  of  their  faith.  Two 
or  three  Masses  were  provided  on  Sunday,  a  sermon  was  preached 
at  the  high  Mass,  confessions  were  heard  on  Saturday,  there  was 
a  catechism  school,  sometimes  a  library,  and  two  or  three  devo¬ 
tional  societies  were  organized.  For  this  simple  routine,  the 
churches  and  the  clergy  did  not  need  be  numerous,  and  they 
were  not,  falling  always  below  the  needs  of  the  people.  Editor 
McMaster  complained  loudly  for  years  over  the  apparent  inten¬ 
tion  of  selfish  pastors  to  hold  large  congregations  to  infrequent 
and  incommodious  churches.  Little  by  little  the  old  conditions 
yielded  to  imperious  needs,  and  old  methods  were  displaced  by 
the  newer  and  better.  The  modern  parish  developed  under  the 
stimulating  care  of  original  and  zealous  priests  until  it  reached 
its  present  excellence,  which  can  be  clearly  studied  in  the  brilliant 
examples  provided  by  the  cathedral  parish  and  the  parish  of  the 
Paulist  community. 


438  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


The  regular  staff  of  the  cathedral  parish  consists  of  the  rector 
and  five  assistant  priests.  Their  routine  of  weekly  labor  the 
year  round  embraces  great  variety  of  occupation.  ‘The  cere¬ 
monies  of  the  Church  have  to  be  carried  out  with  precision  and 
elegance  at  the  cathedral,  and  the  services  have  also  to  be  con¬ 
ducted  with  regard  to  the  needs  of  a  large  congregation,  perhaps 
twelve  thousand  souls.  On  Sunday  six  Masses  are  provided, 
and  a  short  sermon  is  preached  at  each  Mass.  The  last  Mass 
is  always  solemn,  the  music  is  sung  by  male  choirs  in  the  organ 
loft  and  in  the  sanctuary,  and  the  sermon  preached  is  of  careful 
quality.  There  is  no  lack  of  preaching  at  any  time;  conferences 
are  frequent,  and  special  preachers  are  engaged  for  the  special 
occasions  of  the  year.  Confessions  are  heard  on  Fridays  and 
Saturdays,  on  the  eve  of  holydays,  and  at  many  other  times  accord¬ 
ing  to  need  and  custom.  In  the  rectory,  two  priests  are  always 
on  duty,  one  to  look  after  visitors  and  the  other  to  attend  to 
sick  calls.  This  is  the  general  work  of  the  parish.  The  special 
works  are  the  superintendence  of  the  schools  which  teach  sixteen 
hundred  boys  and  girls  ;  the  direction  of  a  catechism  school, 
with  its  annual  preparation  of  the  children  for  the  first  confession, 
the  first  communion,  and  confirmation;  the  management  of  *a 
library  and  reading-room;  and  the  direction  of  numerous  societies, 
such  as  the  Holy  Name,  the  Young  Men,  the  Sacred  Heart 
League,  a  reading  circle,  and  various  sodalities  for  pious  devo¬ 
tions;  and  finally  the  individual  work  peculiar  to  the  parish,  in 
which  each  priest  must  engage  from  the  necessity  of  the  situa¬ 
tion.  The  result  of  this  minute  and  varied  work  is  to  bring  the 
clergy  into  close  intimacy  with  the  people,  and  to  make  the 
Church  the  very  centre  of  the  higher  life  of  the  congregation. 
The  mere  routine  of  Church  services,  preaching,  confessing, 
visiting  the  sick,  directing  schools  and  societies,  is  large  enough 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


439 


to  exercise  the  zeal  of  the  clergy;  when  to  this  routine  is  added 
the  inevitable  labor  that  results  from  every  good  work  steadily 
carried  out,  the  unforeseen  demands  of  the  needy  and  the  suffer¬ 
ing,  one  may  understand  the  activity  of  the  modern  parish. 

The  Paulist  community  was  the  first  to  set  in  motion  the 
machinery  of  the  modern  parish.  Father  Hecker  and  his  asso¬ 
ciates  were  original  men,  without  prejudices  and  with  few  tradi¬ 
tions.  They  had  the  American  faculty  for  examining  a  situation 
well,  and  of  providing  for  its  needs  in  the  best  possible  way. 
They  took  up  every  good  method,  and  invented  .some  themselves, 
until  their  parish  became  the  model  modern  parish  upon  which 
every  other  has  been  patterned;  in  the  sanctuary  the  ritual  carried 
out  with  splendor,  the  Gregorian  music  well  sung,  the  congre¬ 
gational  singing  beautiful;  the  preaching  frequent  and  effective; 
the  catechism  school  unsurpassed  in  its  method  and  manage¬ 
ment  ;  the  library  good  and  well  patronized ;  the  societies  numerous 
and  well  directed;  the  printing-press  doing  remarkable  work  for 
the  spread  of  the  gospel;  and  special  means  employed  to  attract 
the  non-Catholic  multitude.  The  success  of  the  modern  parish 
invited  imitation,  and  before  the  period  was  well  over  the  leading 
city  parishes  had  adopted  the  main  features  of  the  work-scheme 
used  in  St.  Paul’s  and  in  the  cathedral  parish.  The  good 
example  spread  throughout  the  country  rapidly,  and  the  multipli¬ 
cation  of  parish  organizations  led  to  the  formation  of  national 
bodies  for  the  young  men,  the  reading  circles,  and  the  benevolent 
societies.  The  German  Catholics  of  the  city  and  the  country 
at  large,  had  enjoyed  for  many  years  the  beneficial  results  of 
local  societies,  and  had  also  their  national  organizations.  The 
Germans  are  by  nature  and  by  training  fond  of  system  even  in 
their  pleasures,  devoted  to  their  own  race  in  every  way,  and  some¬ 
what  indifferent  to  public  display;  consequently,  they  were 


440  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

quicker  to  take  up  the  methods  of  the  modern  parish  than  the 
Irish  clergy,  with  less  opposition  and  less  debate  as  to  their  value ; 
and  they  were  earlier  in  the  field  in  the  work  of  national  organi¬ 
zation  and  the  use  of  the  printing-press.  Through  the  multi¬ 
plied  and  efficient  work  of  the  modern  parish,  the  unit  in  Catholic 
organization  was  solidly  built  up.  The  foundation  was  laid  for 
that  work  which  is  now  going  on  with  energy  and  success;  the 
intelligent  organizing  of  the  clergy  and  laity  on  a  national  basis, 
to  bring  all  localities,  all  races,  all  opinions  closer,  where  ami¬ 
cable  discussion  may  destroy  useless  differences,  and  action  in 
important  matters  may  be  swift  and  universal. 

The  specialist  work  among  the  clergy  became  very  marked 
under  Dr.  Corrigan’s  administration,  which  was  largely  due  to 
his  readiness  to  take  up  any  good  work,  and  to  his  sympathy 
with  work  itself.  The  priests  were  now  more  numerous,  and  the 
old  objection  to  their  increase  in  numbers  had  been  forgotten. 
It  was  indeed  recognized  that  with  the  best  efforts  they  would 
long  be  too  few  for  the  whitening  harvest;  and  also  that  parish 
work  alone  was  insufficient  to  meet  the  general  needs  of  the  time. 
Rev.  Walter  Elliott,  of  the  Paulist  community,  an  enthusiastic 
disciple  of  Father  Isaac  Hecker,  had  succeeded  in  establishing 
a  direct  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  non-Catholics,  by  interesting 
the  bishops  in  the  scheme  of  a  diocesan  apostolate.  Each  bishop 
appointed  one  or  more  priests  to  devote  their  whole  time  and 
energy  to  instructing  non-Catholics;  Father  Elliott  spent  some 
time  in  training  these  missionaries  for  their  work;  afterwards 
they  went  about  the  diocese  preaching  and  instructing  converts, 
recruited  their  ranks  from  the  diocesan  clergy,  and  trained  their 
own  members.  Father  Elliott  travelled  from  diocese  to  diocese 
as  the  bishops  required  him,  the  work  grew  into  proportions, 
criticism  rather  strengthened  it,  and  finally  a  college  was  estab- 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


441 


lished  in  Washington  for  the  special  training  of  the  missionaries 
to  non-Catholics.  New  York  was  early  in  the  field,  especially 
because  the  Pope  approved  of  the  work.  A  band  of  young  men 
under  the  leadership  of  Rev.  Thomas  F.  Cusack  was  formed,  and 
did  admirable  work  through  the  diocese,  preaching  regular  mis¬ 
sions,  but  keeping  ever  in  mind  the  aim  of  their  apostolate,  the 
winning  of  non-Catholics  to  the  faith. 

The  reading-circle  movement  under  the  lead  of  Rev.  Thomas 
McMillan,  the  Paulist,  became  extensive  both  in  the  diocese 
and  out  of  it,  and  interested  the  clergy  in  its  intellectual  scheme. 
A  similar  movement  had  been  going  on  also  in  the  West  under 
the  lead  of  Mr.  Warren  E.  Mosher.  The  two  divisions  united 
in  the  year  1892  to  form  the  Catholic  Summer  School,  which 
met  at  New  London  and  organized  a  permanent  association 
whose  activities  and  importance  have  increased  ever  since.  While 
not  a  diocesan  society,  the  Catholic  Summer  School  was  largely 
supported  by  New  York  patronage  and  carried  on  by  a  New 
York  executive;  and  it  owed  a  great  part  of  its  success  to  the 
interest  and  labors  of  the  clergy.  The  colored  people  of  the 
city  found  an  earnest  patron  in  Dr.  Richard  Lalor  Burtsell,  who 
interested  himself  in  the  founding  of  their  mission,  and  a  fine 
leader  in  Dr.  John  E.  Burke,  who  gave  himself  up  to  the  direct 
service  of  the  colored  people  with  the  ardor  and  self-sacrifice  of 
a  wilderness  missionary.  Several  priests  took  up  the  work  of 
the  popular  library  and  the  reading-room,  which  they  developed 
to  a  high  degree  of  efficiency;  lecture  courses  were  opened  each 
winter  for  teachers,  and  general  lecture-courses  for  the  public  at 
large;  the  science  of  pedagogy  became  popular  and  had  many 
clerical  exponents,  among  whom  Rev.  Joseph  McMahon  stood 
preeminent  by  his  industry  and  success. 

Dr.  Charles  Grannan  won  eminence  by  his  work  as  a  profes- 


442  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


sor  at  the  Catholic  University  in  the  department  of  Sacred  Scrip¬ 
ture,  and  Dr.  Edward  McSweeny  at  Mount  St.  Mary’s  University 
as  professor  of  dogmatic  theology.  In  canon  law,  Dr.  Richard 
Burtsell  established  a  reputation  as  a  clerical  lawyer,  the  one 
species  of  cleric  so  dreaded  by  Cardinal  McCloskey;  but  as  inter¬ 
preter  of  the  law  he  was  welcomed  by  the  clergy  as  a  necessary 
adjuster  of  inevitable  differences.  Rev.  C.  G.  O’Keefe  dis¬ 
tinguished  himself  by  his  establishment  of  the  mission  at  Nassau 
in  the  Bahama  Islands,  when  that  territory  was  placed  in  the 
jurisdiction  of  New  York;  and  later  he  added  to  his  fame  by  the 
building  of  a  chapel  at  West  Point,  for  the  use  of  the  Catholic 
soldiers,  cadets,  and  officers,  under  circumstances  of  peculiar 
difficulty.  In  the  interesting  and  blessed  work  of  caring  for  the 
immigrants,  Father  John  Riordan  established  the  Rosary  Mis¬ 
sion  on  the  Battery,  and  was  succeeded  by  Father  O’Callaghan 
and  Father  Michael  Henry,  who  devoted  themselves  to  the  sole 
task  of  directing  and  guarding  the  Irish  immigrants,  from  the 
time  of  their  landing  to  their  safe  bestowal  with  friends;  in  the 
same  holy  labor  were  engaged  various  German,  Italian,  and 
Polish  priests,  on  behalf  of  their  own  people.  The  diocesan 
chaplains  won  no  small  distinction  in  various  activities;  Rev. 
Thomas  Kinkead,  for  his  sincere  spirituality;  Rev.  John  Chid-, 
wick,  for  his  courage  and  devotion  as  chaplain  of  the  Maine, 
blown  up  in  Cuban  waters;  Rev.  William  Daly,  during  the  Cuban 
war  as  chaplain  of  the  Sixty-Ninth;  Rev.  John  T.  Smith,  as  an 
industrious  writer  on  Catholic  topics  for  the  magazines. 

Although  at  one  time  the  heated  disputes  of  the  hour  threat¬ 
ened  to  divide  the  clergy  into  permanent  factions,  the  leaders 
were  too  blessed  with  the  common  sense  which  prevails  among 
Americans,  and  too  free  from  partisan  spirit  to  continue  long  in 
opposition.  With  the  passing  of  time  and  the  reorganization  of 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


443 


the  Archbishop’s  council,  evil  conditions  slowly  disappeared. 
Rev.  John  Farley  became  vicar-general  on  the  death  of  Monsignor 
Preston,  and  Rev.  Joseph  F.  Mooney  succeeded  Monsignor 
Donnelly  as  the  second  vicar-general.  These  two  priests  had 
kept  a  clear  middle  course  in  the  troubles  of  the  period,  swerving 
none  from  their  loyalty  to  their  superior,  and  maintaining  their 
former  friendships  and  intimacies  with  the  clergy.  Their  in¬ 
fluence  and  advice  had  a  soothing  effect  on  all  parties.  They 
were  supported  in  the  council  by  the  sympathy  and  labor  of 
Father  John  Edwards,  a  priest  of  the  highest  character  and 
sincerest  spirit;  of  Father  James  Flood,  an  excellent  manager  and 
shrewd  business  man,  as  well  as  a  devoted  priest;  of  Father  James 
McGean,  a  genial,  witty,  clear-minded  priest,  to  whom  division 
and  dispute  were  an  abomination;  of  Father  Charles  Colton,  a 
gentle-mannered  man  for  whom  the  kindest  method  was  always 
the  wisest.  Through  the  efforts  of  these  priests,  the  effects  of 
storm  passed  away  by  degrees  and  something  like  the  former 
calm  reigned  among  the  clergy. 

The  character  and  temper  of  the  general  body  of  the  diocesan 
priesthood  at  this  time  may  be  seen  from  particular  and  shining 
instances.  Dr.  Richard  Burtsell  was  looked  upon  as  leading 
the  legal  opposition  to  Archbishop  Corrigan.  A  thorough  priest, 
devoted  to  his  calling  and  his  people,  of  refined  taste  and  good 
education,  he  had  also  the  lawyer’s  temperament,  looked  at  life 
and  its  problems  impassively,  fought  for  victory  steadily  and 
powerfully,  and  accepted  defeat  with  the  self-assurance  of  the 
man  looking  to  a  higher  court  for  reversal  of  judgment.  His 
name  became  a  power  in  clerical  courts  and  cases,  and  through 
some  reverses  he  maintained  his  cheerfulness  and  his  equilibrium. 
Dr.  Patrick  McSweeney  was  a  priest  of  independent  thought  and 
witty  speech,  and  had  a  practical  turn  of  mind.  Nothing  on 


444  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

this  side  of  the  grave  had  any  terrors  for  him,  and  as  the  pastor 
of  St.  Brigid’s,  an  important  position,  he  made  himself  felt  in 
the  various  movements  of  the  time.  In  the  education  problem, 
in  the  temperance  cause,  and  in  other  important  matters  he  had 
his  own  viewpoint  and  his  own  method,  sensible  and  practical, 
and  he  worked  only  towards  a  definite  end.  Tall  and  grave, 
he  nevertheless  owned  a  fine  humor  and  a  biting  wit,  and  his 
career  was  consistent,  fruitful,  and  holy. 

Rev.  James  Nilan,  of  Poughkeepsie,  represented  in  his  temper¬ 
ament  and  career  the  compromise  theory,  which  in  our  mixed 
conditions  has  a  larger  practical  value  than  the  conservative  are 
willing  to  admit.  He  mingled  freely  and  easily  with  all  classes, 
lectured  at  Vassar  and  other  advanced  institutions,  possessed  a 
sarcastic  humor  well  suited  to  his  peculiar  position,  made  him¬ 
self  entirely  objectionable  to  the  opposite  party,  and  lived  and 
died  an  irreproachable  priest.  Rev.  Michael  C.  O  Farrell,  of 
Holy  Innocents’  parish,  enjoyed  a  double  reputation  as  a  shrewd 
business  man  and  a  fine  host.  In  the  former  capacity,  he  won 
eminence  in  the  management  of  three  parishes  successively,  Ron- 
dout,  St.  Teresa’s,  and  Holy  Innocents;  building  them  up  well, 
leaving  them  without  debt,  and  with  their  properties  in  fine  con¬ 
dition.  As  a  host,  he  entertained  foreign  visitors  and  native 
celebrities  until  his  reputation  became  international.  Rev.  Charles 
McCready,  the  pastor  of  Holy  Cross  parish,  besides  winning 
credit  'in  his  labors,  held  with  great  discretion  an  intermediate 
position  during  the  sharp  controversies  on  all  questions.  His 
high  position  was  supported  by  a  pleasant  wit,  a  literary  turn 
of  mind,  and  a  hospitable  disposition;  he  held  the  confidence  of 
all  parties  in  some  degree,  kept  a  consistent  course,  and  thus 
became  a  factor  in  the  settling  of  domestic  and  even  national 
problems,  both  at  the  close  of  Dr.  Corrigan’s  administration  and 
at  the  beginning  of  the  next. 


THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CLERGY 


445 


The  Germans  were  represented  by  three  men  of  very  different 
characteristics.  Rev.  Frederic  Wayrich,  of  native  birth,  able  and 
accomplished,  acquainted  with  the  times,  was  a  conservative  of 
the  most  distinct  type,  and  gave  his  support  to  all  measures 
directed  to  the  development  of  a  conservative  policy;  Rev. 
Anthony  Kessler,  born  in  Germany,  had  the  cosmopolitan  spirit, 
and  leaned  to  the  theory  of  compromise  in  most  things.  He  per¬ 
ished  at  sea  in  the  sinking  of  “  La  Bourgogne,”  and  was  last  seen 
by  a  survivor  leading  in  prayer  the  unfortunate  victims  just 
before  the  ship  went  down.  Rev.  Anthony  Lammel  was  both 
pastor  and  musician,  and  helped  largely  to  popularize  the  Gre¬ 
gorian  music  in  this  country,  directing  Csecilian  societies,  com¬ 
posing  church  music  and  aiding  by  his  influence  the  work  of 
improving  public  taste;  and  while  intensely  German  and  conser¬ 
vative,  his  musical  affiliations  and  sociable  nature  brought  him 
into  intimacy  with  all  classes.  It  is  apparent  from  these  varie¬ 
ties  of  types  that  the  clergy  during  the  work  of  systematizing 
peculiar  to  this  period,  had  not  lost  individuality  to  any  degree. 
The  lack  of  acute  controversy  in  the  Cardinal’s  time  had  de¬ 
veloped  a  sameness  of  feature  in  them,  peculiar  to  a  class  devoted 
to  peaceful  routine;  the  abundant  disputation  and  varying  activi¬ 
ties  of  Dr.  Corrigan’s  time  developed  characteristics  to  a  high 
degree.  On  the  whole,  the  clergy  showed  intellectual  bright¬ 
ness,  social  development,  variety  in  method,  interest  in  work, 
fondness  for  it,  and  sound  devotion  to  God  and  the  people. 


St.  Joseph’s  Seminary 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 

THE  progress  of  the  laity  in  the  dio¬ 
cese  had  been  very  marked  during 
the  time  of  the  Cardinal.  All  depart¬ 
ments  of  activity  had  been  opened  to 
Catholics.  In  fact,  the  island  of  Man¬ 
hattan  had  become  a  Catholic  city,  and 
this  would  have  become  more  apparent 
but  for  the  extreme  caution  of  the  po¬ 
litical  leaders,  who  feared  consequences 
to  themselves  were  it  known.  For  their 
own  pleasure  and  power,  they  kept 
Monsignor  Kearney  Catholic  representation  in  the  city  gov¬ 

ernment  at  about  one-fifth  when  it  should  have  been  one- 
half  or  more;  and  they  satisfied  Catholic  feeling  by  giving  the 
lesser  positions  to  Catholics.  The  Board  of  Education  was  an 
illustration  of  this  condition,  where  the  Catholic  majority  was 
for  a  long  time  represented  by  two  or  three  members  out  of 
twenty-two,  and  all  the  chief  officers  were  Protestants.  The 
formation  of  Greater  New  York  in  later  years  left  the  Catholics 
in  the  minority.  In  1885,  they  felt  so  comfortable  over  their 
practical  ownership  of  the  island  that  they  made  no  complaint 
about  small  things.  All  the  professions  were  open  to  them,  all 
forms  of  business,  all  political  offices  except  the  chief  places  in 
the  State;  and  even  these  were  gradually  won  before  the  end 
of  the  century,  by  the  election  of  Denis  O’Brien  to  the  place  of 

(446) 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


447 


attorney-general  and  of  William  Sheehan  to  the  office  of  lieuten¬ 
ant-governor. 

With  this  fine  foundation  it  was  not  strange  or  startling  that 
during  the  administration  of  Archbishop  Corrigan  the  advance 
of  the  Catholic  body  should  have  surpassed  all  expectation. 
Their  character  changed  rapidly  with  the  change  both  in  circum¬ 
stances  and  in  immigration.  The  metropolis  became  a  veritable 
Pentecost.  Time  had  given  the  native  Catholics  the  lead,  both 
in  numbers  and  in  rank;  they  were  mostly  of  Irish  and  German 
descent,  with  a  sprinkling  of  English,  French,  and  Spanish  blood; 
the  chief  places  in  the  colleges  and  academies  were  theirs;  and 
they  showed  all  the  peculiar  qualities  of  the  American.  The 
Irish,  who  had  given  Brownson  so  much  annoyance,  lost  their 
ascendancy  by  degrees,  through  decrease  in  immigration  and  the 
influx  of  other  races;  but  they  remained  numerous  enough,  kept 
a  strong  grip  on  politics,  plunged  deep  into  the  labor  movements, 
and  proved  themselves  as  vivacious  and  excitable  as  the  French. 
Their  conservative  clergy  held  them  in  check.  The  Germans 
increased  steadily,  and  were  also  found  in  politics;  sometimes  in 
league  with  their  Irish  brethren,  but  oftener  against  them.  As 
stolid  and  self-centred  as  the  Irish  were  excitable  and  centri¬ 
fugal,  they  organized  with  care,  held  to  their  old  ideas  and  habits, 
and  became  the  most  characteristic  body  in  the  diocese.  Their 
talent  and  liking  for  organization  proved  useful  when  the  project 
of  federation  came  up.  Although  their  immigration  also  declined, 
they  had  twenty  churches  and  sixty  priests  at  their  service  at  the 
close  of  this  period. 

The  Italian  immigration  distanced  all  others.  It  had  begun 
shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war,  but  did  not  assume  proportions 
until  1880.  After  that  date  it  kept  increasing  until  in  the  last 
year  of  Archbishop  Corrigan’s  reign,  two  hundred  thousand 


448  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

people  from  Italy,  Sardinia,  and  Sicily  entered  the  country  by 
the  port  of  New  York.  For  the  most  part  they  were  very  poor, 
and  had  been  driven  from  home  by  the  wretched  conditions. 
The  change  to  America  did  not  benefit  them  in  the  point  of  reli¬ 
gion,  for  as  a  rule  they  refused  to  recognize  the  laws  of  the  Church 
in  the  strange  country,  neglected  JVIass  and  the  sacraments,  neg¬ 
lected  religious  training  of  their  children,  seemed  to  dispense 
themselves  from  all  Catholic  law  and  practice  with  their  depar¬ 
ture  from  home.  Neither  did  their  clergy  at  first  follow  them 
to  their  new  settlements.  At  an  early  date  both  the  Cardinal 
and  Archbishop  Corrigan  made  most  strenuous  representations 
of  their  condition  to  the  bishops  of  Italy  and  to  the  Pope,  and 
particularly  animadverted  upon  the  ignorance  of  religion  common 
among  them.  The  Italian  pastors  had  not  done  their  duty  by 
them,  and  the  Italian  clergy  were  unwilling  to  follow  them  into 
exile.  In  time,  however,  indifference  was  overcome,  Italian 
priests  were  secured,  and  by  1902  fifty  of  their  own  clergy  were 
working  through  the  diocese  in  their  behalf,  twenty  churches  and 
chapels  were  at  their  disposal,  and  several  missions  were  provided 
for  them  in  connection  with  the  regular  parishes.  Three  reli¬ 
gious  communities  entered  the  field,  the  Pious  Society  of  Missions, 
the  Piacenza  Fathers,  and  the  Salesians.  The  progress  of  the 
Italian  colony  was  rapid  in  commercial  and  political  affairs; 
their  religious  advance  at  this  date  has  still  to  be  measured,  and 
it  will  take  a  decade  to  sum  up  the  results. 

One  of  the  oddities  of  the  situation  was  the  confusion  resul¬ 
ting  from  Italian  political  ideas.  Nothing  more  hateful  to 
American  Catholics  could  be  named  than  the  20th  of  September, 
which  the  Italian  colony  celebrated  as  the  consummation  of 
national  glory,  the  date  of  Victor  Immanuel’s  occupation  of  Rome 
and  of  the  downfall  of  the  temporal  power.  For  very  slight 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


449 


cause  the  Irish  would  any  moment  have  attacked  the  annual 
procession,  eager  to  drive  the  Garibaldians  off  the  face  of  the 
earth,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Orangemen;  and  as  for  considering 
them  Catholics  and  aiding  them  to  keep  their  faith  alive,  that 
was  out  of  the  question. 

Among  other  nationalities  the  Poles  had  seven  churches  and 
eight  priests,  the  Bohemians  and  Hungarians,  six  churches  and 
eleven  priests,  the  French,  one  church  and  ten  priests,  the  Cana¬ 
dians,  one  church  and  eleven  priests,  the  Spaniards,  one  church 
and  one  priest,  the  Syrians,  one  church  and  two  priests,  the  Greek 
rite,  two  churches  and  two  priests.  With  two  or  three  excep¬ 
tions,  all  these  were  located  in  the  city  of  New  York  or  its  imme¬ 
diate  vicinity.  One  can  imagine  the  task  which  Archbishop 
Corrigan  set  himself  in  organizing  these  immigrants,  interesting 
them  in  the  new  ecclesiastical  conditions,  and  getting  them  clergy 
and  churches.  He  was  fortunate  in  the  help  secured  from  the 
clergy.  The  Jesuits  undertook  a  mission  for  the  Italians  in 
Elisabeth  Street,  Father  Kearney  made  the  Italians  of  St.  Pat¬ 
rick’s  parish  his  special  care,  and  his  methods  were  employed 
with  success  in  other  parishes;  young  men  of  the  various  nation¬ 
alities  were  educated  for  the  priesthood  and  sent  to  evangelize 
their  people,  and  by  degrees  all  the  races  in  the  diocese  were  pro¬ 
vided  with  some  kind  of  supervision.  Apostolic  prelates  of  the 
various  nationalities,  of  the  character  of  Archbishop  Scalabrini 
of  Piacenza,  took  up  the  work  of  training  priests  for  the  American 
mission,  and  were  able  after  a  time  to  aid  the  American  bishops 
effectively.  At  no  time  did  the  commingling  of  these  diffeient 
races  cause  any  disorder,  so  smoothly  and  capably  did  the  Aich- 
bishop  and  his  officials  direct  their  course. 

The  prosperity  and  success  of  the  Catholic  body  swept  away 
all  the  old  arguments  of  Catholic  inferiority,  which  was  supposed 


450  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

to  spring  from  their  religious  faith.  Their  lack  of  initiative,  as 
described  by  the  more  ardent  preachers  of  the  sects,  proved  to  be 
rather  a  lack  of  opportunity,  lack  of  a  fair  show  from  their  neigh¬ 
bors  or  the  Protestant  leaders.  In  New  York,  the  opportunity 
offered  them,  they  seized  it  with  such  eagerness  that  at  one  time 
their  domination  threatened  the  comfort  of  the  minority.  Their 
success  so  invaded  every  important  department  of  metropolitan 
life,  that  an  argument  grew  out  of  it  against  farming  for  the  Irish. 
The  majority  of  the  German  immigrants  took  up  lands  in  the 
West,  while  the  Irish  remained  in  the  cities;  the  growth  of  the 
cities  and  of  centralization  made  the  Irish  and  their  descendants 
sharers  in  the  dominating  influences  of  the  cities;  and  thus,  said 
the  argument,  they  became  large  moulders  of  the  national  foices. 
Much  truth  was  contained  in  this  statement.  The  profession  of 
journalism,  for  example,  fairly  teemed  with  Catholic  young  men 
from  1840,  and  in  1885  the  Catholic  journalists  must  have  been 
at  least  half  the  entire  number.  They  had  a  place  in  every  de¬ 
partment  from  the  management  down.  Some  were  of  literary 
prominence.  While  their  religious  character  may  have  been 
indifferent,  the  spirit  of  the  faith  lived  in  them,  and  often  pre¬ 
vented  mischief  to  the  Church. 

Important  members  of  the  Herald  staff  at  various  times  were 
Thomas  Hamilton  and  Thomas  Connery,  both  trained  journal¬ 
ists,  and  Joseph  Clarke,  a  man  of  versatility  and  power,  poet 
and  dramatist  of  marked  ability.  Thomas  C.  Quinn  filled  im¬ 
portant  positions  on  various  journals,  and  finally  performed  the 
astonishing  feat  of  founding  a  daily  journal  of  his  own.  Augus¬ 
tine  Daly,  after  serving  as  dramatic  critic  for  years,  filled  the 
world  with  his  fame  as  a  manager.  Victor  Herbert  was  the  fore¬ 
most  musical  writer  of  the  day,  orchestra  leader,  composer  of 
light  operas,  and  journalist.  Stanislaus  Stange  held  a  foremost 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


451 


position  in  the  dramatic  field.  Herman  Ridder  managed  the 
great  German  paper  the  Staats  Zeitung,  and  was  a  power  in  jour¬ 
nalism,  politics,  and  commercial  life.  The  three  departments  of 
the  press,  the  stage,  and  city  politics  held  very  intimate  relations 
from  1880,  and  Catholics  were  found  in  all  three  in  numbers,  as 
editors,  reporters,  contributors,  playwrights,  managers,  actors, 
officials,  often  holding  political  positions  at  the  same  time.  They 
formed  a  brilliant  coterie,  not  models  of  piety,  but  in  great  part 
faithful  to  principle;  and  when  buried  in  indifference,  still  ready 
to  do  the  Church  a  service,  and  opposed  to  anything  that  threat¬ 
ened  her  honor  or  her  peace.  Thomas  Woodlock  edited  a  finan¬ 
cial  journal  in  Wall  Street,  Thomas  Meehan  served  as  correspon¬ 
dent  for  provincial  journals,  Elisabeth  Jordan  edited  Harper's 
Bazaar,  Conde  Pallen  and  Dr.  James  J.  Walsh  wrote  for  the 
great  cyclopedias,  and  the  latter  contributed  liberally  to  the  medi¬ 
cal  and  scientific  reviews.  This  influential  body  of  writers  in 
all  departments,  of  theatre  attaches,  of  actors,  of  journalists,  of 
political  officials,  was  quite  unknown  to  and  therefore  never  used 
by  the  ecclesiastical  authorities.  Its  service  to  religion  was  purely 
personal,  accidental,  and  negative;  yet  even  thus  the  service  was 
valuable  and  worthy  of  record. 

Law  and  politics  were  professions  more  highly  appreciated. 
The  Catholic  members  of  both  stood  very  high  in  the  community. 
Frederic  Coudert  was  admittedly  one  of  the  first  lawyers  of  his 
day,  an  acute  thinker,  a  fine  orator;  Bourke  Cockran  had  all  the 
gifts  of  the  Irish  orator,  and  a  reputation  as  a  lawyer;  Judge 
Morgan  O’Brien  and  Judge  Joseph  Daly  enjoyed  the  respect  of 
the  bench  and  the  bar  for  integrity  and  legal  knowledge.  The 
number  of  Catholic  lawyers  increased  with  every  year,  until  a 
small  volume  could  be  written  on  them  alone;  and  strangely 
enough,  considering  their  profession  and  their  surroundings,  they 


452  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

were  remarkable  as  a  body  for  their  fidelity  to  the  principles  and 
the  practise  of  the  faith.  They  were,  indeed,  along  with  the  fore¬ 
most  business  men,  the  champions  and  the  representatives  of  the 
faith  in  the  forum;  theirs  was  the  opportunity  to  explain  and  de¬ 
fend  the  faith  to  the  interested  or  the  hostile;  their  professional 
pugnacity  made  them  prompt  and  audacious  in  certain  situations; 
and  they  rendered  very  important  service  to  the  advancement  of 
the  Catholic  body.  This  service  became  more  evident  at  critical 
times,  like  the  meeting  of  constitutional  conventions,  or  the  con¬ 
vening  of  hostile  legislatures;  but  the  more  private  and  individual 
work  had  even  a  greater  value,  since  it  was  going  on  all  the  time. 

Politics  has  never  been  a  profession  in  America,  but  in  New 
York  it  came  very  near  to  taking  on  that  dignity.  It  gave  an 
opening  to  Catholics  at  an  early  date,  an  opening  denied  them  in 
other  directions.  They  took  advantage  of  it,  at  first  in  the  Demo¬ 
cratic  ranks,  later  as  Republicans,  quite  a  number  as  reformers, 
and  not  a  few  as  members  of  the  Labor  Party.  To  their  success 
and  to  this  division  of  opinion  was  due  the  breaking  down  of 
prejudice  against  them.  Three  Catholic  mayors,  Grace,  Grant, 
and  Gilroy,  broke  the  Protestant  tradition  and  opened  the  chief 
office  to  Catholics;  a  candidate’s  religion  ceased  to  be  a  factor  in 
his  election.  The  religious  test  operated  only  against  a  Catholic 
as  a  rule.  The  number  of  Catholics  in  the  Tammany  organiza¬ 
tion,  the  chief  stronghold  of  Democracy  in  New  York,  led  to  the 
extravagant  denunciation,  abuse,  and  slander  heaped  upon  Tam¬ 
many,  the  city  administration,  and  the  city  itself  by  the  ministers 
of  the  city  and  the  country.  Their  violent  and  lurid  denuncia¬ 
tions,  without  sense  or  any  saving  quality,  made  New  Aork  a 
by-word  for  the  whole  world.  They  ignored  the  fact  that  Catho¬ 
lics  were  in  all  parties,  that  leading  opponents  of  Tammany  were 
often  Catholics,  as  in  the  case  of  Recorder  Goff  and  Eugene 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


453 


Philbin.  Their  attitude  affected  English  sentiment  deeply.  Hon. 
Joseph  Chamberlain  maintained  that  municipal  corruption  in 
America  was  due  to  the  Irish  politicians;  Rudyard  Kipling  could 
hardly  contain  his  contempt  for  New  York  and  other  American 
cities,  and  wrote  verses  expressing  it,  which  his  American  pub¬ 
lishers  cut  out.  The  bigots  carried  their  scheme  of  falsehood  a 
little  too  far,  for  New  Yorkers  of  all  beliefs  and  opinions  resented 
the  world-wide  impression  that  their  city  was  a  sewer  and  their 
government  a  brigandage.  The  partisan  struggle  in  the  city  gave 
political  prominence  to  many  Catholics,  since  no  party  could  win 
without  two  or  more  Catholic  candidates;  and  it  opened  both  the 
elective  and  appointive  offices,  high  and  low,  to  Catholic  applicants. 

The  political  condition  also  threw  open  the  teaching  profes¬ 
sion  to  Catholics,  a  long  time  barred  against  them  by  scheming 
bigots.  The  proper  means  was  found  to  destroy  their  influence 
as  to  the  ordinary  positions;  but  the  curious  anomaly  remained 
of  Protestant  persecutors  occupying  the  principal  offices  in  the 
education  department  of  an  almost  Catholic  city.  It  was  diffi¬ 
cult  for  a  Catholic  man  or  woman  to  secure  the  place  of  principal. 
When  this  condition  was  changed  finally,  the  formation  of  Greater 
New  York  introduced  different  circumstances  and  put  the  Catholic 
body  in  the  minority.  They  had  found  a  good  footing,  how¬ 
ever,  in  the  teaching  profession,  many  achieved  eminence  as  edu¬ 
cators,  and  if  fitness  were  the  one  quality  required  in  the  highest 
places  they  would  not  have  been  wanting.  The  profession  of 
medicine  did  not  attract  as  large  a  following  as  the  law,  still  its 
Catholic  practitioners  were  numerous,  and  many  of  them  won 
local  renown.  The  growth  of  the  city,  the  rise  of  medical  col¬ 
leges,  and  the  hospital  work  attracted  students  from  all  parts  of 
the  country  and  physicians  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The 
names  of  Dr.  Thomas  Addis  Emmet,  Dr.  Keyes,  Dr.  Wallace, 


454  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


and  Dr.  Constantine  McGuire  became  familiar  as  the  representa¬ 
tive  Catholic  physicians. 

Commercial  life  naturally  won  the  majority  to  its  pursuits. 
Its  great  prizes  are  not  easily  won,  but  its  labors  are  more  attrac¬ 
tive.  In  all  its  departments  the  Catholics  attained  eminence  and 
fortune,  but  their  faith  remained  less  known  than  in  other  pro¬ 
fessions,  partly  because  at  one  time  it  might  have  injured  patron¬ 
age,  and  partly  because  no  one  inquired.  Perhaps  John  Mackay 
and  his  son  Clarence  stood  at  the  head  for  the  value  and  the  im¬ 
portance  of  their  financial  interests.  The  Iselin  family  held  a 
high  position  in  the  banking  world.  The  builder  of  the  subway, 
James  McDonald,  was  a  Catholic.  In  carrying  out  vast  engin¬ 
eering  contracts,  the  Coleman  Brothers  acquired  fame  as  well  as 
fortune.  William  R.  Grace  built  up  an  institution  on  South 
American  trade.  Joseph  J.  O’Donohue  and  Lawrence  Callanan 
were  equally  eminent  for  business  success  and  Christian  charity. 
Peter  F.  Collier  became  a  millionaire  through  great  ventures  in 
the  publishing  business.  A  notable  figure  in  the  great  insurance 
business  built  up  in  the  last  quarter  of  the  century,  was  John  A. 
McCall.  Notable  people  in  the  banking  business  were  John 
McAnerney,  John  B.  Manning,  and  John  D.  Crimmins.  Among 
the  ten  omnibus  houses  in  the  city,  Adams  &  Co.  held  high  rank, 
whose  leading  members,  John  Flanigan  and  Samuel  Adams,  were 
Catholics.  The  Travers  Brothers  built  up  an  enormous  twine 
business.  Hugh  King  and  Daniel  O’Day  stood  high  in  the  oil 
trade.  Patrick  and  Stephen  Farrelly  developed  a  monopoly  in 
the  American  News  Company.  All  these  names  are  picked  at 
random  among  hundreds  quite  as  good,  representing  all  nation¬ 
alities.  Every  calling  had  its  quota  of  Catholics,  and  their  suc¬ 
cess  in  particular  instances  was  remarkable. 

After  the  earliest  days,  the  absence  of  opposition  and  persecu- 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


455 


tion  left  them  unconscious  that  their  universality  and  their  success 
had  any  significance,  or  contained  the  reply  to  the  continuous 
charge  of  bigots  as  to  their  natural  inferiority.  As  yet  they  had 
only  parish  organization,  which  for  the  majority  meant  a  brief 
meeting  at  Mass  on  Sundays.  Then  came  societies  founded  on 
racial  lines.  A  little  later  appeared  mutual  benefit  organizations. 
Finally,  the  moment  arrived  when  all  distinctions  were  merged  in 
the  one;  the  purely  Catholic  society  for  the  increase  of  social  in¬ 
timacy  among  Catholics.  Among  the  earliest  in  the  field  were 
the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians  for  the  Irish,  and  for  the  Ger¬ 
mans,  several  superior  organizations. 

When  the  social  and  patriotic  motive  failed  to  attract  new 
members,  the  idea  of  mutual  benefit  was  added,  a  kind  of  insur¬ 
ance,  not  always  with  a  sound  financial  basis,  but  productive  of 
good  for  a  long  term  df  years.  It  urged  the  members  to  economy, 
to  saving,  and  taught  them  the  value  of  mutual  aid  for  periods  of 
distress.  The  Irish  society  fell  into  bad  odor  with  the  church 
authorities  at  one  time,  but  reinstated  itself  afterwards  and  was 
formally  absolved  from  its  past  sins.  Its  total  membership  in 
1900,  reached  two  hundred  thousand,  and  in  New  York  its  pop¬ 
ularity  was  deservedly  high.  In  1864,  the  Catholic  Foresters 
came  into  existence,  had  a  reorganization  in  1889,  and  in  1900 
enjoyed  a  membership  of  230,000,  and  had  disbursed  in  benefits 
$10,000,000.  The  Irish  Catholic  Benevolent  Union  appeared  in 
1869,  and  with  a  membership  of  14,000  disbursed  $2,000,000. 
The  Catholic  Mutual  Benevolent  Association  was  started  in 

1876,  reached  a  membership  of  58,000,  and  disbursed  in  benefits, 
$14,000,000.  The  Catholic  Knights  of  America  appeared  in 

1877,  reached  a  membership  of  25,000,  and  disbursed  $12,000,000. 
The  Catholic  Benevolent  Legion  was  founded  in  1881,  attained 
a  membership  of  28,000,  and  disbursed  $16,000,000.  The 


456  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Knights  of  Columbus  began  their  career  in  1882,  reached  a  mem¬ 
bership  of  123,000,  adopted  later  a  light  insurance  benefit,  and 
disbursed  over  two  millions.  Each  of  these  organizations  had 
its  period  of  popularity,  when  membership  promised  to  be  un¬ 
limited,  and  then  its  period  of  reaction,  when  the  utmost  skill  of 
officers  and  organizers  was  required  to  prevent  disruption.  None 
was  started  in  New  York,  but  all  of  them  flourished  there.  The 
most  popular  was  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  which  adopted 
secrecy,  initiation  ceremonies,  and  enthusiasm  as  its  attractive 
features,  and  won  remarkable  success.  Its  apparent  likeness  to 
Masonic  societies  brought  it  under  suspicion  at  one  time,  but  its 
officers  proved  its  blamelessness  before  the  Church  authorities, 
and  it  received  ecclesiastical  sanction.  The  Ancient  Order  of 
Hibernians  established  a  chair  of  Celtic  literature  at  the  Wash¬ 
ington  University,  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus  founded  a  chair 
of  history. 

The  remarkable  influence  of  these  various  societies,  not  merely 
in  the  matter  of  mutual  benefit,  but  in  rousing  interest  in  the 
faith,  stirring  up  enthusiasm,  and  bringing  home  to  the  men  par¬ 
ticularly,  scattered  in  small  towns  and  quiet  districts,  the  uni¬ 
versality  of  the  Church  and  the  brotherhood  of  the  faith,  was 
visible  to  the  dullest  observer.  The  women  organized  as  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Catholic  Benevolent  Legion,  keeping  a  separate  ad¬ 
ministration,  and  had  great  success.  For  many  years  the  young 
men  of  the  country  had  been  encouraged  to  form  clubs,  and  a 
national  union  of  these  parish  societies  was  formed  under  the 
direction  of  Monsignor  George  Doane  in  Cardinal  McCloskey’s 
time.  This  union  received  a  great  development  later,  and  its 
annual  conventions  became  a  recognized  and  popular  institution. 
A  society  for  the  veneration  of  the  Holy  Name  of  Jesus,  whose 
members  were  pledged  to  diminish  profanity  in  themselves  and  in 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


457 


others,  enjoyed  popularity  with  the  men  for  a  long  period,  and 
its  annual  assembly  on  New  Year’s  day  in  St.  Patrick’s  Cathedral, 
when  six  thousand  members  attend  Mass  and  hear  a  vigorous 
sermon,  became  a  stirring  feature  of  Catholic  public  life.  The 
Sacred  Heart  League  for  people  of  all  classes  attained  a  large 
membership  in  New  York,  printed  its  own  publications,  and  led 
many  thousands  into  the  apostolate  of  prayer.  Out  of  a  sodality 
in  St.  Francis  Xavier’s  parish,  grew  a  social  organization  which 
was  known  from  1871  to  1888  as  the  Xavier  Union.  It  then  be¬ 
came  the  Catholic  Club,  built  a  splendid  house  on  the  south  side 
of  Central  Park,  and  undertook  with  success  the  responsibilities 
of  a  representative  social  organization.  With  a  thousand  mem¬ 
bers,  resident  and  non-resident,  led  by  some  of  the  foremost  men 
of  the  day,  it  laid  the  foundations  of  what  will  be  in  time  a  re¬ 
markable  and  indispensable  institution.  All  around  it  flourished 
smaller  clubs  of  every  variety,  scattered  throughout  the  parishes, 
habituating  young  and  old  to  organization;  not  always  consciously, 
for  the  clubs  had  many  aims,  of  which  they  thought  more  than  of 
the  principle  and  use  of  organization  itself. 

From  this  necessarily  brief  account,  it  may  be  seen  how  active 
and  interested  were  the  people  of  this  period.  The  thousands 
pouring  in  from  Italy,  Poland,  and  Slav  countries,  seeking  new 
fortunes;  the  natives  branching  out  into  new  enterprises;  oppor¬ 
tunities  numerous  and  within  easy  reach;  the  leaders  well  placed 
and  wealthy;  the  necessity  for  swift  and  fruitful  labor  to  keep  up 
with  the  demands  made  upon  all;  these  helped  to  develop  a  fine 
Catholic  spirit  of  charity  among  the  well-to-do.  Great  deeds 
came  to  be  common.  Monsignor  McMahon,  famous .  for  his 
financial  ability,  presented  the  Catholic  University  with  property 
valued  at  half  a  million.  Archbishop  Corrigan  gave  the  greater 
part  of  his  inheritance  to  the  seminary  chapel,  $60,000.  The 


458  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


leading  laymen  subscribed  a  quarter  of  a  million  at  one  stroke  to 
pay  off  the  seminary  debt.  Certain  families  became  noted  for 
their  steady  and  splendid  works  of  beneficence.  The  Iselins,  of 
New  Rochelle,  presented  an  entire  church  property  to  a  parish 
in  that  town,  church,  rectory,  and  school;  they  erected  a  church 
for  the  Italians  in  the  same  place;  and  their  smaller  donations 
were  innumerable  and  constant.  Mrs.  Reynal  performed  the 
same  generous  service  for  the  village  of  White  Plains.  Both 
gifts  were  perfect  in  their  architecture,  adding  beautiful  churches 
and  buildings  to  the  possession  of  the  diocese.  Eugene  Kelly, 
his  wife  and  sons,  led  the  way  in  every  charity,  and  especially 
distinguished  their  name  by  the  gift  of  the  Lady  Chapel,  the 
completion  of  the  cathedral  apse,  costing  nearly  half  a  million. 
William  R.  Grace  was  foremost  in  many  good  works,  and  earned 
distinction  by  founding  and  endowing  a  training-school  for  women. 
George  Hecker  and  his  family  spent  several  thousands  on  various 
charities  in  connection  with  the  Paulist  community,  besides  gen¬ 
erous  donations  elsewhere.  The  Crimmins  family,  father  and 
sons,  besides  many  smaller  benefactions,  had  a  notable  share  in 
the  founding  of  the  Dominican  monastery  at  Hunt’s  Point.  The 
Coleman  Brothers,  well-known  and  successful  contractors,  John 
B.  Manning,  the  banker,  Bourke  Cockran,  lawyer  and  orator, 
Augustine  Daly,  the  manager,  Peter  Doelger  and  George  Ehret, 
the  famous  brewers,  and  the  Travers  brothers,  were  all  generous 
givers  to  the  works  of  charity  and  the  building  of  churches.  A 
tireless  and  successful  worker  for  all  forms  of  charity  was  Mrs. 
Kate  Ashman,  well  known  as  the  mistress  of  the  famous  Sinclair 
House  on  Broadway,  whose  benefactions  were  generous  and 
innumerable.  Miss  Annie  Leary,  upon  whom  the  Pope  con¬ 
ferred  the  title  of  Countess  for  her  charitable  achievements,  used 
her  income  and  her  high  place  in  society  largely  for  the  benefit 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  LAITY 


459 


of  the  needy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Ryan  erected  a  church 
at  Suffern,  and  spent  thousands  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 
The  Smith  family,  of  St.  Peter’s  parish,  restored  the  church  inte¬ 
rior  at  an  expense  of  $55,000,  gave  as  much  to  the  poor  on  the 
death  of  their  mother,  a  woman  of  boundless  charity,  and  gave 
to  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  $100,000,  as  the  dowry  of  their  only  sister 
when  she  entered  the  community. 

The  wonderful  growth  of  the  charitable  institutions  during 
this  period  was  due  in  great  part  to  this  generous  and  increasing 
charity,  directed  almost  entirely  towards  the  most  pressing  needs, 
churches  and  institutions.  The  schools,  the  colleges,  and  the 
press  were  not  included;  it  was  thought  they  could  wait,  for  as 
yet  these  good  works  were  not  much  considered. 


Fordham  College 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


THE  FIVE  SYNODS 


T1 


Monsignor  McGean 


| HE  Third  Plenary  Council  of  Bal¬ 
timore,  held  in  1884,  introduced 
the  new  and  stricter  legislation.  It 
was  characteristic,  suited  to  the  times, 
generous  in  feeling,  and  yet  minute  in 
detail,  and  illustrated  clearly  how  feel¬ 
ing  had  crystallized  on  certain  mat¬ 
ters.  The  Church  in  America  had 
now  been  at  work  among  its  own 
people,  and  in  the  public  view,  for 
almost  a  century.  Its  environment 
was  unlike  any  other  in  its  long  ex¬ 
perience.  Such  freedom  of  action  as  the  citizens  of  the  American 
Republic  enjoyed  probably  had  never  belonged  to  the  common 
crowd  before,  hardly  even  to  successful  aristocracy.  The  sense 
of  personal  liberty  grew,  unchecked  by  irritating  laws  and  gov¬ 
ernmental  supervision.  It  affected  all  things.  The  leading 
churchmen  recognized  its  character  and  power  from  the  very 
start,  and  took  pains  to  avoid  clashing  with  it.  Archbishop 
Carroll,  with  his  great  prudence,  established  the  tradition  of 
caution  in  this  matter  as  well  as  in  others.  Therefore,  the  earlier 
legislation  was  brief  and  general,  did  not  descend  to  details 
except  when  necessary,  and  was  content  to  wait  for  clearer 
inspiration  until  a  later  day.  That  day  arrived  with  the  Third 
Plenary  Council. 

It  enacted  laws  concerning  the  dress,  the  manners,  and  the 

(460) 


Right  Reverend  Joseph  A.  Mooney 


I 


THE  FIVE  SYNODS 


461 


morals  of  the  clergy,  their  households,  their  dependants,  their 
methods  of  conducting  business,  their  detachment  from  the  world ; 
it  took  a  well-defined  position  on  the  question  of  popular  educa¬ 
tion;  it  adopted  in  part  the  Puritan  view  of  the  drink  question, 
and  put  a  large  stigma  on  the  saloon;  it  responded  to  the  demand 
of  the  clergy  for  a  real  and  intimate  share  in  the  church  admin¬ 
istration.  Its  decrees  form  a  thoroughly  American  document,  so 
racy  of  the  soil  as  to  be  incomprehensible  in  parts  to  the  European 
mind.  The  history  of  the  document,  as  it  took  shape  under  the 
hammer  first  of  the  Council  and  afterwards  of  Rome,  would  be 
the  history  of  the  Church  in  the  United  States.  Its  character 
and  its  laws  are  both  reflected  in  the  Fifth  Synod  of  New  York, 
held  under  Archbishop  Corrigan.  He  had  much  to  do  with  the 
work  of  the  Council,  and  his  interest  in  it  appears  in  the  decrees 
of  the  Synod.  They  also  form  a  very  remarkable  document, 
illustrative  of  their  author,  of  the  Council,  and  of  domestic  condi¬ 
tions.  The  Archbishop’s  intense  devotion  to  the  Church  breathes 
from  every  paragraph;  his  minute  and  systematic  care  for  every 
department  of  his  diocese  appears  in  its  very  completeness;  his 
solicitude  that  nothing  should  be  misunderstood  is  made  clear  in 
the  continual  references  to  former  councils  and  synods.  So 
thoroughly  did  it  cover  the  whole  ground  that  no  other  synod 
was  needed  to  complete  it;  and  although  four  other  synods  were 
held  before  his  death,  they  made  very  slight  additions  to  the  law. 

The  Fifth  Synod  was  held  in  St.  Patrick’s  Cathedral  on  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  of  November  in  the  year  1886,  a  year 
after  the  death  of  the  Cardinal;  and  the  event  made  a  most 
auspicious  opening  of  the  Archbishop’s  career.  Vicar-General 
Preston  was  the  promoter,  Revs.  John  Farley  and  Frederick 
Wayrich  the  procurators  of  the  clergy.  Revs.  John  Edwards  and 
John  Kearney  the  judges  of  complaints,  Rev.  Henry  Gabriels  the 


462  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


secretary,  Rev.  Patrick  McSweeney  the  notary,  Revs.  Charles 
McDonell  and  James  Kelly  the  masters  of  ceremonies,  Revs. 
Antony  Lammel  and  John  Kellner  the  chanters,  and  Revs.  James 
McGean  and  John  Grady  the  lectors. 

The  decrees  passed  were  embraced  under  twenty  titles  with 
two  hundred  and  sixty-four  numbers.  They  are  the  summing 
up  of  all  former  legislation,  the  synods  and  provincial  councils  of 
New  York  together  with  the  plenary  councils  of  Baltimore.  The 
opening  title,  following  the  usual  custom,  proclaims  the  Third 
Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore  and  the  Fourth  Provincial  Council 
of  New  York;  repeats  the  proclamation  of  all  preceding  councils 
and  synods;  and  recommends  the  clergy  to  cultivate  the  study 
of  their  decrees. 

The  third  title,  treating  of  the  Catholic  faith,  urges  upon  pas¬ 
tors  the  importance  of  impressing  the  people  with  the  great  value 
of  the  faith,  in  a  time  when  faith  is  so  seriously  attacked  on  every 
side.  They  are  to  provoke  the  people  to  acts  of  faith  in  the  prin¬ 
cipal  dogmas,  such  as  the  Trinity  and  the  eternity  of  hell,  because 
these  truths  are  so  often  denied;  they  are  to  teach  steadily  that  no 
one  can  be  saved  outside  the  Church;  they  are  to  denounce  as  a 
dangerous  error  the  popular  indifferentism,  which  holds  that 
salvation  belongs  to  any  religion,  and  to  anyone  who  leads  a  re¬ 
spectable  life;  and  in  particular  they  are  to  warn  the  faithful  to 
keep  away  from  all  sectarian  gatherings.  The  people  are  to  be 
warned  against  the  Protestant  Bible,  and  are  to  keep  their  homes 
free  of  the  dangerous  cheap  publications  of  the  time,  encouraging 
rather  Catholic  books  and  papers.  Authors  are  warned  against 
printing  books  on  Catholic  doctrine  without  the  permission  of 
the  bishop,  and  priests  are  exhorted  to  print  nothing  whatever, 
on  doctrine  or  other  subjects,  without  the  same  consent.  Pastors 
are  to  warn  and  guard  their  flocks  against  the  prevailing  delusion 


THE  FIVE  SYNODS 


463 


of  spiritism,  and  also  against  the  errors  of  socialism,  communism, 
and  anarchism.  The  people  are  to  be  kept  from  joining  the 
popular  secret  societies,  but  pastors  are  not  to  take  it  upon  them¬ 
selves  to  decide  what  societies  are  secret  and  condemned.  Finally, 
the  people  are  to  be  taught  the  deepest  veneration  for  the  Pope, 
as  the  head  of  the  Church,  and  are  to  aid  him  with  prayers 
and  money  in  his  condition  of  prisoner  of  the  Vatican. 

In  all  this  the  times  are  faithfully  pictured.  The  sects  had 
begun  to  lose  their  hold  upon  the  people,  and  at  the  work-bench 
men  denied  the  Trinity  with  the  Unitarians,  the  eternity  of  hell 
with  the  Universalists,  in  a  spirit  of  unfaith  and  contempt.  That 
one  sect  is  as  good  as  another  with  regard  to  salvation  had  long 
been  a  popular  tenet,  and  had  finally  led  to  indifference;  and 
this  indifference  had  become  a  religion  itself,  reducing  belief  and 
unbelief  to  the  same  level;  so  that  the  churches  became  places  of 
entertainment,  to  which  went  the  crowd  for  the  pleasure  of  the 
music  and  the  eloquent  sermon.  The  printing  and  distributing 
of  King  James’  Bible  had  become  a  mania  with  Protestant  mis¬ 
sionaries,  who  scattered  millions  of  copies  in  every  country  of  the 
world,  and  felt  that  the  good  seed  had  been  sown  by  the  act, 
although  the  scattered  copies  were  as  often  put  to  base  uses  as  to 
good.  The  era  of  cheap  publications  had  come,  and  the  vilest 
works  of  Paine  and  Voltaire  were  on  every  bookstand.  Authors 
had  become  numerous  with  the  ease  of  finding  publishers,  and 
Catholic  authors  did  not  always  know  the  need  of  an  imprimatur; 
and  while  the  clerical  writers  were  not  numerous,  their  literary 
quality  was  often  poor  enough  to  make  episcopal  intervention 
necessary,  if  the  honor  of  the  clergy  were  to  be  preserved.  Spir¬ 
itism  was  just  then  in  its  evil  prime,  and  close  to  its  fall,  also;  and 
the  city  and  country  were  buzzing  with  the  talkers,  the  theorists, 
the  political  cure-alls,  whose  nostrums  were  to  make  the  world 


464  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

over  new.  Leo  XIII,  after  eight  years  on  the  throne,  had  won 
such  success  as  to  have  become  one  of  the  popular  rulers  of  the 
time;  made  much  of  by  the  journals,  listened  to  in  his  letters  and 
speeches,  and  ranked  with  Bismarck  and  Gladstone  in  the  com¬ 
mon  mind. 

The  third  title  instructs  the  clergy  in  the  matter  of  preaching. 
The  fourth  title  deals  with  the  education  of  the  children.  Fol¬ 
lowing  the  recent  Council,  it  urges  the  clergy  to  erect  church 
schools  within  two  years,  and  inability  to  do  so  must  be  passed 
upon  by  the  bishop.  Nuns  and  brothers  are  to  be  teachers  by 
preference,  but  if  laymen  are  employed  as  teachers  they  are  to  be 
of  pious  character  and  able  to  teach  religion.  A  diocesan  exam¬ 
ination  board  is  established,  before  which  all  teachers  must  come 
for  examination,  both  religious  and  laity;  a  board  of  education  is 
established,  and  school  commissioners  are  created  for  the  various 
school  districts;  and  the  latter  have  power  to  visit  schools,  to 
examine  into  their  condition,  and  to  report  accordingly  to  the 
School  Board.  Parents  are  to  send  their  children  to  Catholic 
schools;  pastors  are  to  see  that  the  schools  attain  the  end  for 
which  they  are  erected,  and  must  visit  them  regularly.  The 
study  of  the  catechism  must  be  carried  on  with  intelligence,  care, 
and  good  results;  pastors  and  parents  are  to  take  personal  and 
fruitful  interest  in  the  instruction  of  the  children.  At  least  four 
times  a  year  the  younger  children  are  to  be  prepared  for  confes¬ 
sion  after  instruction  in  the  catechism;  while  the  communicants 
among  the  children  are  to  be  encouraged  to  go  to  communion 
monthly.  With  this  decree  the  church  school  passed  into  the 
second  stage  of  its  development,  and  the  teaching  of  the  cate¬ 
chism  became  an  important  part  of  pedagogical  work.  The 
results  were  immediate  and  gratifying. 

Passing  from  the  fifth  title,  which  offered  nothing  new  in  the 


THE  FIVE  SYNODS 


465 


matter  of  zeal  for  souls,  to  the  sixth,  which  treated  of  the  life  of 
the  clergy,  the  priests  are  urged  in  general  to  a  careful  and  holy 
life,  and  in  particular  are  more  closely  bound  to  the  external 
forms  of  the  sacerdotal  life.  The  soutane  is  to  be  the  dress  of 
the  house  as  well  as  of  the  church,  the  Roman  collar  is  made  a 
distinctive  feature  of  clerical  dress,  not  to  be  laid  aside  when 
abroad,  and  the  garments  are  always  to  be  of  black  cloth  and 
clerical  shape.  The  race-course,  the  theatre,  and  the  opera  are 
forbidden  to  priests;  all  professions  are  closed  to  them,  such  as 
medicine,  and  all  other  business  than  the  business  of  the 
gospel;  they  are  not  to  frequent  saloons,  no  matter  how  re¬ 
spectable.  Their  recreation  is  to  be  always  suited  to  their 
high  estate,  and  they  are  to  fly  ease  and  idleness;  and  in  order  to 
help  them  to  cultivate  the  spirit  of  study,  the  theological  confer¬ 
ences  will  continue;  and  the  junior  clergy,  for  five  years  after  their 
ordination,  will  prepare  for  yearly  examinations  in  their  seminary 
studies.  This  decree  also  marked  a  step  forward  in  restricting 
the  freedom  hitherto  exercised  in  certain  matters,  and  in  the 
attempt  to  make  study  a  feature  of  clerical  life.  While  the  con¬ 
ferences  never  seemed  to  accomplish  the  end  for  which  they  were 
started,  the  five  examinations  of  the  junior  clergy  kept  the  young 
priests  in  touch  with  their  theology  with  very  good  effect.  The 
laws  of  residence  both  for  pastors  and  curates  were  more  strictly 
applied,  also  wTith  good  results. 

In  the  seventh  title,  the  institution  of  quasi-parishes  is  pro¬ 
vided  for,  in  which  the  rectors  are  to  be  irremovable,  somewhat 
after  the  manner  peculiar  to  canonical  pastors;  that  is,  they  can 
only  be  removed  for  cause,  after  a  proper  canonical  trial,  while 
all  other  rectors  are  removable  at  the  pleasure  of  the  bishop  for 
cause.  Under  this  decree  the  parishes  of  St.  Peter,  St.  Patrick, 
St.  Mary,  St.  James,  St.  Joseph,  St.  Teresa,  St.  Brigid,  St. 


466  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Michael,  St.  Gabriel,  and  the  Immaculate  Conception,  of  Four¬ 
teenth  Street,  in  the  city,  and  in  the  country,  the  parishes  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception,  Yonkers,  of  St.  Patrick,  Newburgh,  and 
of  St.  Peter,  Poughkeepsie,  received  the  honor  of  quasi-canonical 
erection.  This  new  state  demanded  that  in  case  of  vacancy  the 
next  pastor  should  be  the  successful  candidate  in  a  theological 
concursus.  The  share  to  be  taken  by  the  clergy  in  the  adminis¬ 
tration  of  the  diocese  was  indicated  by  the  new  offices  established 
by  the  Baltimore  Council.  A  board  of  six  consulters  was  intro¬ 
duced;  three  were  to  be  named  by  the  bishop,  and  three  were  to 
be  selected  by  him  from  a  list  of  nine  sent  in  by  the  diocesan 
clergy;  and  their  office  was  to  advise  the  bishop  and  to  have  a 
share  in  the  election  of  a  bishop  to  the  See. 

The  office  of  dean  was  established,  and  the  work  of  super¬ 
vising  in  a  slight  degree  the  parishes  of  the  deanery  was  attached 
to  it;  nine  examiners  of  the  clergy  were  formed  into  a  board  of 
examination,  whose  duty  was  the  conducting  of  a  concursus,  the 
examination  of  the  junior  clergy,  and  the  passing  on  candidates 
for  the  seminary;  the  office  of  defender  of  the  marriage  tie  was 
established,  and  also  that  of  diocesan  attorney,  the  one  to  examine 
into  dubious  marriages  and  the  other  to  see  that  ecclesiastical 
trials  were  properly  conducted.  The  first  consulters  named 
under  the  new  regime  were  Revs.  William  Quinn,  Thomas  Pres¬ 
ton,  John  Farley,  James  Dougherty,  Arthur  Donnelly,  and  Pat¬ 
rick  McSweeney;  the  first  deans  were  Revs.  Patrick  Egan,  James 
Dougherty,  and  Joseph  Mooney;  Dr.  Richard  Burtsell  was  named 
defender  of  the  marriage  tie,  Rev.  James  McGean,  the  diocesan 
attorney,  and  Dr.  Henry  Brann,  the  censor;  nine  examiners  of  the 
clergy  were  named,  seven  priests  were  appointed  to  form  the 
diocesan  examining  board,  and  twenty-one  were  named  to  form 
the  board  of  education.  This  imposing  array  of  officials,  num- 


THE  FIVE  SYNODS 


467 


bering  about  fifty,  displayed  the  good  intentions  of  the  Third 
Plenary  Council  towards  the  scheme  of  interesting  the  clergy  in 
diocesan  administration.  The  form  had  been  brought  into  exist¬ 
ence,  and  the  way  was  open  for  a  large-minded  prelate  to  use  it 
to  its  fullest  extent,  to  make  it  something  more  than  a  form,  and 
thus  to  prepare  for  the  time  when  each  office  would  mean  work 
and  power  for  its  incumbent. 

The  next  eight  titles,  devoted  to  the  sacraments,  were  beau¬ 
tifully  composed,  and  breathe  a  spirit  of  profound  devotion.  The 
last  two  treat  in  the  usual  manner  the  burial  of  the  dead,  the 
cemeteries,  the  churches,  and  the  ecclesiastical  properties.  In  the 
printing  of  the  statutes  of  the  Fifth  Synod  an  excellent  skeleton 
was  made  for  the  table  of  contents,  so  that  at  a  glance  the  items 
of  each  title  could  be  read  by  the  inquirer;  and  the  entire  synodi¬ 
cal  legislation  of  the  diocese  was  brought  out  in  book  form  in 
1901,  by  the  Cathedral  Library  Press,  in  so  good  a  style  as  to 
make  easy  and  agreeable  reading.  The  Fifth  Synod  did  its  work 
so  thoroughly  and  finely  that  the  succeeding  synods  up  to  this 
date  have  had  very  little  to  do.  The  Sixth  Synod,  held  on 
November  21,  1889,  enacted  no  laws,  but  announced  the  new 
officials.  The  Seventh  Synod,  held  on  November  23,  1892, 
repeated  with  emphasis  the  decrees  on  the  obligations  of  resi¬ 
dence  and  labor  for  pastors,  on  placing  confessionals  in  open 
and  public  places,  and  on  the  care  to  be  taken  with  regard  to 
receiving  money  at  confession  for  any  purpose;  while  the  annual 
examinations  for  the  junior  clergy  were  made  more  specific,  being 
confined  to  a  tract  in  dogma,  a  tract  in  moral  theology,  and  ques¬ 
tions  on  Scripture,  canon  law,  and  church  history. 

The  Eighth  Synod  was  held  on  November  20,  1895,  and  since 
it  had  very  little  to  do  beyond  naming  the  diocesan  officials  for 
the  next  period,  Archbishop  Corrigan  had  its  forms  shortened  by 


468  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


special  dispensation  from  the  Pope.  Of  the  three  statutes  en¬ 
acted,  the  most  important  and  significant,  as  marking  the  close  of 
a  sharp  discussion  among  the  bishops,  was  the  declaration  that 
hereafter  the  societies  known  as  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Sons  of 
Temperance,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  are  condemned  as 
secret,  dangerous,  and  unlawful,  and  Catholics  are  no  longer 
permitted  to  join  them.  Many  of  the  bishops  were  opposed  to 
any  action  against  these  societies,  and  their  influence,  while  it 
could  not  prevent  the  public  condemnation,  secured  Catholic 
members  from  financial  loss  or  other  harm,  which  would  result 
from  immediate  resignation.  They  were  allowed  an  appeal  to 
the  Delegate  Apostolic  at  Washington,  who  could  decide  upon 
their  case  according  to  the  circumstances. 

The  Ninth  Synod  was  held  on  November  23,  1898,  and  its 
most  important  decree  was  founded  on  a  decree  of  the  propa¬ 
ganda,  bearing  date  April  26,  1897,  with  regard  to  the  children 
of  foreigners  residing  in  the  United  States.  The  children  born  in 
the  United  States  of  foreign  parents  not  speaking  the  English 
tongue,  at  their  legal  majority  are  to  be  free  to  join  the  parish 
of  their  parents,  or  an  English-speaking  parish.  Catholic  for¬ 
eigners,  who  were  able  to  speak  English,  were  permitted  to  join 
an  English-speaking  parish. 

Archbishop  Corrigan  deserves  the  highest  praise  for  the  fine 
collection  of  useful  and  well-written  statutes  which  have  ruled 
the  diocese  so  long  and  so  well.  They  are  truly  a  monument 
to  his  devotion  and  his  learning. 


All  Saints’  Church 


CHAPTER  XXX 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES 

FOR  varied  activity  and  careful  sys¬ 
tem,  the  administration  of  Arch¬ 
bishop  Corrigan  took  precedence  over 
all  that  had  gone  before.  The  Catho¬ 
lic  body  of  the  diocese  now  numbered 
over  a  million.  The  exact  figures 
were  never  obtained,  but  all  approxi¬ 
mations  agreed  on  that  total.  The 
city  of  the  See  began  in  1885  the  won¬ 
derful  development  which  was  to  place 
it  among  the  greatest  cities  of  his¬ 
tory.  The  citizens  were  fairly  in¬ 
toxicated  with  its  growth  and  success,  and  the  Catholics  had  the 
larger  share  in  that  joy,  for  they  were  the  majority.  The  influx 
of  population  marked  them  off  into  three  divisions:  the  natives 
of  the  diocese,  the  American  importation  from  other  parts  of  the 
country,  and  the  immigrants  from  Europe.  All  America  began 
to  converge  on  New  York.  Its  opportunities  attracted  all  ambi¬ 
tions.  About  the  Americans  there  was  no  difficulty,  since  they 
fell  in  with  the  established  routine.  The  fascination  of  the  city 
may  have  weakened  them  for  a  little,  but  it  passed  away.  With 
the  immigrants  came  the  problem  of  their  salvation.  Bred  on 
the  peculiar  restrictions  of  Europe,  where  tradition,  local  opinion, 
government  rule,  and  social  law  together  exercise  so  minute  a 
supervision  and  so  strong  an  influence  over  individuals,  American 

(469) 


470  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


freedom  looked  like  license.  Here  seemed  to  exist  no  tradition, 
no  public  opinion,  no  law,  and  very  little  government. 

The  Church  had  no  means  to  deal  successfully  with  the  situ¬ 
ation,  except  the  parish  government;  so  upon  this  unit  of  admin¬ 
istration  fell  the  burden  of  training  the  new-comers,  of  initiating 
them  into  the  new  life  and  its  restraints,  and  of  holding  them  to 
the  faith.  It  can  be  truthfully  said  that  the  parish  stood  the 
immense  strain  very  well.  All  that  Europe  did  at  first  for  its 
outgoing  population  was  to  speed  it  on  its  journey,  and  send  over 
an  occasional  visitor  to  tell  the  Americans  how  the  immigrants 
should  be  treated,  what  were  their  rights  and  susceptibilities,  and 
how  noble  is  the  soul  of  man.  As  has  been  already  pointed  out, 
the  American  parish  had  developed  into  a  complicated  and  useful 
machine,  probably  the  highest  achievement  of  the  American 
priest.  It  aimed  to  meet  every  need  of  the  parishioner,  and  to 
deal  with  every  condition.  Not  only  did  it  administer  the  sac¬ 
raments  and  teach  the  catechism,  but  it  established  the  school, 
the  library,  and  the  society  for  the  children,  the  club  and  guild 
for  the  young  men  and  women,  the  societies  for  special  spiritual 
work,  the  charitable  societies,  and  paid  for  them  out  of  its  own 
treasury.  The  great  demand  made  upon  the  resources  of  the 
parish  led  to  the  now  universal  custom  of  charging  for  seats  at 
the  door  of  the  church.  No  other  means  could  have  raised  so 
easily  the  money  needed  for  the  great  work.  With  the  advent  of 
the  immigrant,  the  parish  undertook  directly  and  indirectly  the 
labor  of  establishing  him  in  his  new  home. 

Indirectly  this  was  accomplished  at  first  by  erecting  his  church 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  American  brother’s,  and  leaving  his  priest 
without  the  usual  parish  limits.  Invariably  the  new  church  was 
supported  by  the  Americans  living  nearer  to  it  than  to  the  parish 
church.  This  revenue  enabled  the  immigrant’s  church  to  get 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES 


471 


along  until  its  own  people  had  been  trained  to  the  American 
system  of  voluntary  contribution,  and  had  gathered  irr  sufficient 
numbers  to  provide  for  its  support.  Thus  were  founded  most 
of  the  foreign  parishes  in  city  and  country.  Not  a  few  of  them 
still  depend  upon  the  support  of  Americans.  Directly  the  parish 
established  the  immigrant  by  methods  similar  to  those  introduced 
at  old  St.  Patrick’s  by  its  pastor,  Rev.  John  Kearney.  The 
Italians  invaded  his  parish  in  such  numbers  as  to  drive  out  the 
old  residents,  or  rather  to  accelerate  the  movement  which  com¬ 
merce  had  already  begun  in  New  York.  The  expansion  of  the 
city  turned  many  residential  districts  to  commercial  uses,  and 
sent  the  inhabitants  all  over  the  island  and  into  the  suburbs. 
The  Italians  showed  very  little  interest  in  religion  after  their 
arrival,  and  acted  as  if  the  Catholic  Church  did  not  exist  in  the 
United  States.  Father  Kearney  persuaded  them  to  inquire  into 
the  matter,  then  gave  them  the  use  of  his  church  for  Mass, 
secured  the  ministrations  of  an  Italian  priest,  brought  the  Italian 
children  to  the  church  school,  and  after  some  years,  when  custom 
had  paved  the  way,  he  abolished  the  distinction  of  races,  and 
made  Italians  and  natives  join  in  the  same  services.  This  work 
extended  over  a  period  of  twenty  years,  and  showed  such  results 
that  it  was  imitated  in  many  other  parishes.  Dr.  Patrick 
McSweeney  adopted  it  at  St.  Brigid’s,  where  he  gave  the  Italians 
the  use  of  the  basement;  Father  James  McGean  introduced  it  at 
Transfiguration,  and  this  parish  a  few  years  later  became  entirely 
Italian;  Monsignor  McGean  gave  the  Syrians  in  charge  of  the 
Maronite  Fathers,  a  place  in  St.  Peter’s;  the  Dominicans  gave  the 
basement  of  St.  Catherine’s  to  the  Italians,  and  Epiphany  parish 
did  likewise;  St.  Gabriel’s  had  an  Italian  chapel,  also  the  Immacu¬ 
late  Conception,  in  East  Fourteenth  Street,  and  the  Augustinians 
on  Staten  Island. 


472  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Besides  this  experiment  others  were  tried  with  success,  such 
as  placing  an  American  priest  in  charge  of  an  Italian  mission,  or 
forming  mixed  parishes.  Dr.  Daniel  Burke  formed  an  Italian 
parish  in  the  Bronx  borough,  Dr.  Charles  Ferina  had  a  mixed  par¬ 
ish  in  the  same  region,  and  Rev.  Patrick  Lennon  an  Italian 
parish.  Throughout  the  diocese  the  clergy  evangelized  the  immi¬ 
grants  by  engaging  priests  of  their  nationality  to  visit  them,  in¬ 
struct  them,  give  them  retreats  and  missions;  where  it  was  possible 
little  chapels  were  built  for  them,  as  they  showed  little  disposition 
to  mingle  wdth  their  brethren,  and  did  not  remain  long  in  country 
neighborhoods.  By  these  methods,  by  the  fine  generosity  of 
pastors  and  people,  and  by  the  successful  efforts  of  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  to  gather  a  body  of  foreign  missionaries,  that  happy  con¬ 
dition  was  reached,  which  has  been  already  mentioned;  the  Cath¬ 
olic  population  speaking  other  languages  than  English  enjoyed  the 
services  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  priests  and  the  use  of  sixty 
churches  and  chapels. 

This  alone  would  have  been  a  fine  achievement,  yet  it  formed 
only  a  fraction  of  the  work  carried  on  by  the  parishes.  The  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  laity  was  the  second  great  success  of  the  parish 
training.  At  first  the  societies  were  not  many  and  their  rules 
were  the  simplest;  such  as  the  sodalities  for  young  and  old,  and 
the  small  bodies  that  recited  the  rosary  in  common,  or  provided 
the  furnishings  for  the  altar.  Later  came  the  temperance  society, 
which  became  sufficiently  popular  to  create  a  national  organiza¬ 
tion  out  of  the  parish  units;  next  was  founded  the  society  for 
young  men,  which  opened  club-houses,  and  also  attained  national 
organization;  and  last  of  all  arose  the  benefit  associations,  which 
spread  rapidly  and  numbered  millions  of  members.  They  were 
all  born  within  the  limits  of  a  parish,  kept  in  close  touch  with  the 
clergy,  and  were  nourished  and  strengthened  until  they  developed 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES 


473 


the  capacity  for  more  general  organization.  The  parish  not  only 
attended  to  the  local  charitable  needs,  but  also  paid  a  large  part 
of  the  bills  of  the  general  charity  institutions.  While  the  city 
assumed  part  of  the  burden  by  contributing  a  fixed  annual  sum 
for  committed  children,  hospital  patients,  and  the  like,  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  buildings,  the  extraordinary  expenses,  fell  upon  the  people 
directly,  and  were  paid  for  by  means  of  general  fairs  or  immense 
festivals,  which  drew  upon  the  resources  of  the  nearest  or  most 
interested  parishes. 

The  parish  found  the  recruits  for  the  sanctuary,  the  monas¬ 
tery,  and  the  convent.  The  colleges  and  convents  had  their  share 
in  this  work,  but  the  parish  took  the  lead.  Vocations  were  dis¬ 
covered  in  the  church  school  and  anxiously  cherished  by  pastors 
and  teachers;  the  way  to  college  and  seminary  was  made  easy, 
the  doors  of  the  convent  were  opened,  by  the  generous  charity  of 
the  faithful  priest  and  the  solicitous  nun. 

Vocation  is  not  an  accident,  and  its  growth  requires  as  great 
care  and  supervision  as  the  choice  flowers  of  the  garden.  The 
parish  produced  the  vocations,  developed  them,  and  handed  them 
over  to  the  care  of  the  college,  the  convent,  and  the  seminary. 
Moreover  it  directly  supported  all  three  by  taxation  of  itself  in 
behalf  of  the  seminary,  and  by  directing  attention  and  sympathy 
towards  the  college  and  the  convent.  Catholics  were  rather 
inclined  to  patronize  the  popular  educational  institutions,  because 
of  their  greater  social  standing,  or  their  special  courses,  even  at 
the  risk  of  the  children’s  faith.  It  required  the  steady  pressure 
of  the  pastors  to  change  that  inclination,  in  many  cases,  and  to 
cultivate  a  proper  understanding  of  the  religious  as  well  as  intel¬ 
lectual  value  of  higher  Catholic  education.  The  church  school 
system  became  naturally  the  feeder  of  the  colleges  and  convents, 
and  that  system  was  maintained  by  the  parishes.  There  was  no 


474  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


other  way  to  maintain  it.  The  Church  had  no  endowments  and 
no  certain  revenues  from  invested  funds. 

The  merits  and  the  necessity  of  a  religious  training  in  the 
primary  schools  were  not  then  as  clear  to  men  as  they  are  to-day. 
The  agnostics  saw,  long  before  the  Catholic  multitude  saw  it,  the 
destructive  power  of  a  public  school  that  left  out  religion.  The 
pastors  who  built  and  managed  church  schools  had  to  face,  not 
merely  the  intrinsic  difficulties,  but  the  hostility  and  the  indiffer¬ 
ence  of  their  own.  They  fought  the  fight  splendidly  and  won  a 
great  victory  over  the  Catholic  supporters  of  a  malicious  and 
cunning  agnosticism.  The  parish  made  the  church  school,  and 
thus  made  possible  the  entire  scheme  of  higher  education.  As 
in  the  case  of  the  societies,  national  organization  grew  out  of  the 
parish  units,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  country  will  yet  see  a 
national  school  board,  to  carry  on  effectively  a  much  greater 
work  than  that  of  charity,  or  social  organization.  The  American 
parish  actually  paid  all  the  expenses  of  the  church  government, 
supporting  the  bishop,  his  executive  department,  and  in  part  his 
cathedral,  and  sending  its  contribution  to  the  remote  missionary 
and  the  Pope.  Finally,  to  close  this  enumeration  of  its  surprising 
activities,  the  parish  adapted  itself  with  speed  and  success  to  the 
ever-changing  conditions  of  the  New  York  diocese. 

Except  the  mining  towns  of  the  West,  no  part  of  the  country 
shows  such  changes  in  populat:on  as  New  York  and  its  vicinity. 
The  metropolis  drained  the  immediate  counties  of  their  popula¬ 
tion,  depleted  their  towns,  shut  off  their  industries,  and  reduced 
independent  districts  to  the  position  of  market-feeders  to  itself. 
The  immense  growth  of  the  city  was  such  that  Archbishop  Corri¬ 
gan  created  about  thirty  new  parishes  within  its  limits.  The 
people  of  Manhattan  were  forced  by  the  inroads  of  business  to 
move  from  the  lower  part  of  the  island  to  the  middle  and  upper 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES 


475 


regions.  Not  a  few  retired  to  Brooklyn  and  New  Jersey,  and  the 
moving  process  has  gone  on  for  twenty-five  years.  Parishes  lost 
their  original  character,  and  found  themselves  facing  new  needs. 
Within  a  single  decade  one  nationality  would  move  out  to  make 
way  for  another.  The  Transfiguration  parish,  deserted  by  its 
former  parishioners,  was  given  to  the  Italians.  Certain  churches 
lost  half  their  worshippers  and  their  revenue.  The  up-town  dis¬ 
tricts  filled  so  rapidly  that  churches  could  not  be  built  quickly 
enough  to  meet  the  new  needs.  The  price  of  land  became  enor¬ 
mous,  the  price  of  labor  and  material  rose,  the  requirements  of 
the  municipal  law  became  more  exacting  and  expensive  in  build¬ 
ing  churches  and  schools.  The  situation  was  aggravated  by  the 
mingling  of  different  races  in  the  same  neighborhood,  so  that 
parish  lines  became  irritating  and  often  useless. 

The  Germans  held  as  closely  as  possible  to  their  old  intrench- 
ments;  the  Italians  kept  to  the  lower  east  side  of  the  city,  but 
little  colonies  wandered  into  the  Bronx  district  and  along  the 
Hudson  as  far  as  Poughkeepsie.  The  suburban  city  of  Yonkers, 
on  the  north  line  of  New  York,  had  a  special  attraction  for  for¬ 
eigners;  it  had  parishes  for  Germans,  Italians,  Poles,  Bohemians, 
Slavonians,  and  Greeks.  The  latter  were  ministered  to  by  mar¬ 
ried  priests,  to  the  great  surprise  of  the  faithful,  who  had  no  sym¬ 
pathy  with  the  peculiarities  of  the  Greek  rite,  and  ranked  the 
married  priests  with  Protestant  ministers.  The  building  of 
churches  became  the  prime  necessity  for  the  shifting  population, 
and  in  great  part  had  to  be  of  the  simplest  character.  At  one 
time  the  first  thought  of  priest  and  people  was  the  erection  of  a 
splendid  parish  church.  The  high  price  of  land  in  the  city,  the 
expense  of  running  a  school,  put  an  end  to  the  building  of  costly 
temples.  Nevertheless,  ecclesiastical  architecture  received  some 
attention,  illustration,  and  development,  and  towards  the  close  of 


476  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


the  century  showed  a  vigorous  reaching  out  for  better  things. 
The  Gothic  and  Roman  styles  had  the  preference,  the  latter  being 
less  ornate  and  less  expensive,  but  as  soon  as  architects  had  won 
reputation  they  began  to  introduce  composite  architecture  with 
good  effect. 

The  Cathedral  stood  in  the  front  rank  both  for  its  beauty  and 
its  size,  and  enjoyed  a  reputation  as  an  illustration  of  the  Gothic. 
The  twin  spires  were  completed  at  an  expense  of  $200,000,  in 
1892,  and  the  apse  was  built  ten  years  later  at  a  cost  of  half  a 
million,  mostly  contributed  by  the  Kelly  family.  A  set  of  chimes 
was  placed  in  the  tower  at  an  expense  of  $20,000,  and  the  work 
of  decorating  the  interior  was  carried  on  steadily  with  consider¬ 
able  artistic  success.  The  side-chapels  were  filled  with  appropri¬ 
ate  altars,  and  the  vacant  niches  wrere  supplied  with  marble 
statues  of  the  great  doctors  of  the  Church.  A  set  of  stations  of 
the  cross  in  Caen  stone,  was  made  by  Kuypers  of  Rotterdam,  an 
artist  of  merit,  and  were  hung  at  an  expense  of  $17,000.  These 
finishing  touches,  although  they  still  left  the  great  temple  incom¬ 
plete  in  many  points,  gave  it  a  commanding  outline,  as  the  most 
beautiful  church  the  western  continent  had  been  able  to  achieve 
in  four  centuries.  Church  architecture  has  not  yet  caught  the 
imagination  and  the  ambition  of  the  American  in  any  part  of  the 
continent,  even  where  the  faith  has  had  full  sway.  The  spirit 
which  moved  the  middle  ages  to  church-building  probably  died 
with  them. 

The  beauty  of  the  Cathedral  gave  an  impulse  and  popularity 
to  the  Gothic  which  led  to  the  erection  of  many  fine  churches  in 
this  order  of  architecture.  The  city  parishes  often  had  a  mem¬ 
bership  of  eight  to  twelve  thousand  in  those  days,  with  a  corre¬ 
sponding  revenue,  which  enabled  pastors  of  ability  and  taste  to 
build  handsome  and  dignified  temples.  St.  John’s  Church,  on 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES 


477 


East  Fifty-fifth  Street,  in  the  Gothic  style  has  the  proportions  of  a 
small  cathedral.  It  is  of  brick  with  facing  of  gray  stone,  the  walls 
are  lofty,  and  the  spire  from  its  eastern  tower  rises  with  graceful 
and  powerful  line.  Within,  its  height  and  length  give  it  the  dis¬ 
tance  effects  of  a  cathedral,  the  windows  are  of  Munich  manu¬ 
facture,  distinguished  for  its  soft  and  vivid  coloring,  and  still 
more  for  the  drawing  and  expression  of  the  figures.  The  three 
Gothic  altars  of  Italian  marble,  perfectly  suited  to  the  church  in 
size  and  form,  are  so  placed  that  the  eye  reaches  them  without 
shock,  as  the  natural  culmination  of  the  interior  effect.  More 
perhaps  than  in  European  countries,  the  problems  of  lighting, 
heating,  and  acoustics  have  had  to  be  considered  in  American 
churches  of  great  size;  and  they  have  all  been  solved  successfully. 
In  St.  John’s,  without  at  all  interfering  with  its  beauty  of  form 
and  color,  steam  keeps  the  church  comfortable,  the  clean  and 
brilliant  electric  light  makes  reading  easy,  and  the  form  and  loca¬ 
tion  of  the  pulpit  bring  the  preacher’s  voice  to  the  remotest  audi¬ 
tor.  This  church  was  the  second  to  use  the  now  popular  Munich 
glass  in  this  country.  Artists  find  fault  with  it  for  securing  some 
of  its  effects  of  shading  by  means  considered  contrary  to  artistic 
laws.  The  beauty  of  its  figures  appealed  strongly  to  churchmen 
and  people  in  this  country. 

This  architectural  achievement  was  secured  through  the  offer¬ 
ings  of  the  parishioners  and  the  energy  of  the  pastor,  and  it 
required  many  years  of  labor  to  complete  its  ornamentation  and 
pay  off  its  debt.  Thus  were  the  majority  of  the  churches  builded. 
In  a  few  cases  wealthy  Catholics  took  the  burden  of  expense  on 
themselves,  and  at  the  same  time  gave  the  diocese  churches  of 
exquisite  beauty.  At  New  Rochelle,  the  famous  Iselin  family 
erected  the  church  and  rectory  of  St.  Gabriel  at  a  cost  of 
$150,000.  Its  Norman  style  was  a  novelty,  but  suited  the  sur- 


478  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


roundings  of  the  handsome  country  town.  The  material  is  blue 
granite.  A  square  and  turreted  clock-tower  forms  the  main 
entrance.  The  interior  walls  are  of  salmon-colored  brick,  the 
ceiling  of  panelled  wood,  the  stations  of  the  cross  in  terra  cotta, 
the  sanctuary  a  reproduction  in  miniature  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Venice,  decorated  in  gold,  and  with  three  finely  colored  windows. 
The  altar  of  Italian  marble  is  beautifully  sculptured.  At  White 
Plains,  the  Reynal  family  erected  a  Gothic  church  of  the  same 
perfect  finish.  The  efforts  of  the  architects  to  combine  different 
styles  and  thus  secure  new  and  striking  effects  were  illustrated  in 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Rosary  on  East  One  Hundred  Forty- 
fourth  Street,  where  the  Byzantine  and  the  Romanesque  mingled 
without  producing  violent  contrasts. 

The  exterior  of  gray  marble  shows  dignity  and  simplicity. 
The  entrance  is  in  the  transept,  which  faces  the  street.  Beside 
it  rises  a  square  tower,  severe  in  line,  capped  by  a  conical  spire, 
surmounted  by  a  Celtic  cross,  and  pinnacled  and  gargoyled.  The 
delicate  beauty  of  the  fafade  is  matched  by  the  interior  orna¬ 
mentation,  whose  soft  and  brilliant  coloring  represents  the  pre¬ 
vailing  American  taste.  The  modern  architect  cannot  get  too 
much  light,  and  this  church  interior  carries  this  penchant  to  the 
point  of  excess.  On  a  sunny  day  it  rests  on  the  eye  like  a  deli¬ 
cate  vision,  in  which  the  human  figures  appear  like  intruders. 
The  altars  are  full  of  soft  details,  not  immediately  visible  but 
affecting  their  expression.  They  are  of  Italian  material  and  mak¬ 
ing,  richly  ornamented  with  Venetian  gold  mosaic,  with  statues 
and  bronzes,  with  pillars  of  yellow  marble  from  Siena  and  green 
from  Alpi,  with  panels  and  niches  and  arches,  so  finely  done  as 
to  give  no  profuse  detail,  but  suggesting  the  most  delicate  har¬ 
mony.  In  its  composite  character,  its  material,  and  particularly 
in  its  ornamentation,  this  church  represents  American  taste  at  the 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES  479 

close  of  the  century,  a  reaction  against  the  heavier  forms  and 
darker  coloring  of  the  previous  generation. 

The  Church  of  All  Saints,  in  Harlem,  dedicated  in  1895,  made 
a  daring  attempt  at  originality  in  the  use  of  material  and  of  deco¬ 
ration.  The  architecture  is  highly  ornamented  Gothic,  with  all 
the  conventional  features;  but  the  material  is  of  brick,  mixed 
tints  of  yellow  and  red,  producing  a  soft  browned-yellow  tint, 
that  in  our  atmosphere  gives  detail  remarkable  clearness.  From 
one  arm  of  the  transept  rises  a  lofty  and  graceful  tower,  of  which 
only  that  part  is  visible  which  is  above  the  roof-line.  The  win¬ 
dows  are  of  American  opalescent  glass,  in  which  the  colors  are 
of  marvellous  brilliancy  and  beauty,  and  the  figures  without  char¬ 
acter.  The  general  character  of  the  building  gives  the  impres¬ 
sion  of  delicacy  and  brilliancy.  The  Church  of  the  Holy  Name 
on  West  Ninety-sixth  Street,  constructed  of  stone,  repeated  in 
granite  the  delicate  effects  obtained  in  All  Saints’  Church.  On 
the  other  hand  the  Paulist  Church,  a  veritable  fortress  in  stone, 
kept  to  the  darker  coloring  in  ornamentation,  and  under  the 
guidance  of  John  Lafarge  and  William  Laurel  Harris  labored 
twenty  years,  and  still  continues  the  labor,  to  produce  a  harmoni¬ 
ous  composition  in  the  deepest  greens,  reds,  browns,  and  purples. 
Already  the  final  effects  are  hinted  at  in  the  merging  of  the  masses 
of  colors  into  one  sumptuous  expression,  unlike  anything  that 
has  yet  been  seen  in  America. 

The  Roman  architecture  had  its  exemplars  in  the  splendid 
Church  of  St.  Francis  Xavier  on  West  Sixteenth  Street,  which 
increased  its  beauty  with  the  years;  in  the  Church  of  St.  Ignatius, 
with  beautiful  nave  and  columns,  and  exquisite  baptistery;  in 
the  smaller  but  more  brilliant  Church  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales, 
whose  marble  facade  and  good  lines  are  a  delight  to  the  eye  of 
artist  and  adorer;  and  in  the  Church  of  St.  Augustine  in  the  Mor- 


480  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


risania  district.  The  last  named  has  the  advantage  of  a  noble 
position,  on  the  hills  east  of  the  Harlem  River,  and  is  visible  for 
miles  from  the  elevated  land  along  the  river.  Its  twin  towers 
rise  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet,  open  cupolas  with  crosses 
surmount  them,  and  the  effect  on  the  opposite  hills  is  most  im¬ 
posing.  The  material  of  the  structure  is  of  light-colored  brick, 
and  the  facade  of  Ohio  freestone.  The  interior  is  an  open  audi¬ 
torium  without  arches  or  pillars,  which  gives  the  appearance  of 
vastness.  The  ornamentation  is  derived  from  magnificent  win¬ 
dows,  the  sanctuary,  the  pilasters,  and  the  frescoing.  Attention 
has  been  paid  to  the  conveniences  made  necessary  by  the  peculiar 
work  of  the  modern  parish,  and  the  building  has  its  offices,  sacris¬ 
ties,  and  toilet  rooms,  its  careful  ventilation,  heating,  and  lighting. 
North  of  it  stands  the  Church  of  St.  Joseph,  whose  imposing 
front  of  central  steeple  and  side  towers,  square,  battlemented,  is 
reminiscent  of  the  Norman  Gothic,  while  the  interior  has  no 
arches  or  pillars,  and  the  American  opalescent  glass  fills  the  win¬ 
dows  with  its  magnificent  colors.  South  of  St.  Augustine’s  is 
another  remarkable  church,  St.  Jerome’s,  which  the  architect 
modelled  from  the  Gothic  of  Spain,  and  ornamented  in  Roman¬ 
esque  and  Moorish  fashion.  It  is  an  attractive  building,  though 
puzzling  to  the  ordinary  observer  by  its  departure  from  the 
conventions. 

St.  Peter’s  Church  on  Barclay  Street,  one  of  the  ancient 
shrines  of  the  city,  was  enabled  through  the  generosity  of  the 
three  brothers,  George,  Edward,  and  Nicholas  Smith,  to  refit 
itself  for  another  generation  and  adorn  its  interior  so  effectively 
as  to  make  it  an  artistic  achievement.  The  structure  itself  was 
strengthened  and  improved  in  the  foundations,  the  facade,  and 
the  lighting.  An  architect  of  experience  and  taste,  Von  Her- 
bulis,  of  Washington,  drew  the  designs  for  the  rearrangement  of 


THE  PARISHES  AND  THE  CHURCHES 


481 


the  interior,  securing  in  the  lines  of  the  altars  and  the  panels  and 
cornices  of  the  walls  and  ceiling  a  majestic  effect,  which  gave  the 
fresco-painter  a  fine  opportunity.  The  work  done  by  this  artist, 
Panzeroni,  for  rich  and  subdued  coloring,  in  daylight  and  arti¬ 
ficial  light,  has  hardly  been  equalled  in  the  city.  The  prevailing 
tint  is  dull  gold,  varied  by  the  rich  paintings  of  scenes  from  the 
life  of  St.  Peter,  by  the  gilding  of  prominent  outlines,  and  by 
figure  and  scroll  work  in  the  panels.  The  latter  is  most  impres¬ 
sive.  The  electric  lights  have  been  so  well  placed  that  the  work  of 
the  artist  comes  into  bolder  view  under  the  illumination.  Noth¬ 
ing  vanishes  or  diminishes,  and  the  added  emphasis  secures  won¬ 
derful  brilliancy.  The  white  Carrara  altars  are  relieved  by  the 
noble  statues  and  the  pillars  of  clouded  marble.  The  general 
effect  by  day  is  soft  and  harmonious  brightness;  in  the  artificial 
light  the  brilliancy  would  be  startling  but  for  the  same  harmony, 
which  has  not  permitted  a  single  discordant  note  to  enter. 

The  impulse  given  by  the  erection  of  these  churches  to  the 
world  of  church-building,  spread  through  the  diocese  and  the 
country.  Fine  churches  became  more  common,  and  architects 
more  ambitious  and  studious.  The  details  of  flooring,  ornament¬ 
ing,  heating,  and  lighting  became  more  important  and  easy  to 
supply  in  the  inventions  of  builders  and  architects;  the  art  of 
frescoing  drew  to  the  country  some  of  the  really  fine  artists  of 
Europe,  who  established  schools  of  frescoing;  and  all  the  other 
arts  connected  with  church  and  ritual  began  to  flourish.  The 
parishes  had  to  carry  a  heavy  debt  to  finance  their  many  under¬ 
takings,  but  the  confidence  of  the  bankers  in  the  ability  and  hon¬ 
esty  of  the  church  administration  made  borrowing  only  too  easy. 
The  prosperity  of  the  metropolis,  which  grew  in  size  and  impor¬ 
tance  with  miraculous  speed,  made  money  plentiful;  and  the 
general  passion  for  building  fine  churches,  beautiful  chapels. 


482  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


noble  charities,  colleges,  convents,  and  schools,  and  carrying  on 
works  of  beneficence,  disbursed  it  with  healthy  rapidity.  The 
debt  of  the  diocese  at  one  time  alarmed  Propaganda,  which  saw 
an  obligation  of  six  millions  in  mortgages  without  seeing  the 
circumstances  under  which  the  debt  had  been  contracted.  The 
authorities  had  to  be  assured  by  Archbishop  Corrigan  and  finan¬ 
cial  experts  that  the  condition  was  safe  and  legal,  but  even  with 
this  assurance  they  recommended  a  diminution  of  the  debt  and 
caution  in  contracting  new  obligations.  Widespread  financial 
panic  alone  could  disturb  the  solvency  of  the  parishes,  and  that  is 
unlikely  to  occur.  Particularly  in  New  York  has  the  parish 
demonstrated  its  ability  to  deal  with  most  questions  of  adminis¬ 
tration,  and  its  success  during  Dr.  Corrigan’s  time  deserves  the 
serious  study  of  the  ecclesiastical  economist. 


St.  Ignatius’  Church 


I 


Right  Reverend  John  Edwards 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOLS 


T 


Monsignor  McCready 


|  HE  long  discussion  of  the  school 
question  was  closed  by  the  Third 
Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore  with  the 
decree  that  every  parish  should  within 
two  years  build  a  school  if  its  means  per¬ 
mitted;  and  the  bishop  of  the  diocese 
was  to  be  the  judge  of  its  capacity. 
After  the  Council  there  could  be  no 
further  discussion  as  to  the  necessity  of 
a  church-school  system;  there  remained 
only  the  question  of  ways  and  means. 
The  necessity,  while  long  apparent  to 
the  acuter  leaders,  was  not  so  clear  to  the  rank  and  file.  A  deep 
and  thorough  religious  training  of  the  child,  which  should  em¬ 
brace  every  part  of  his  development,  did  not  appeal  to  the  mul¬ 
titude,  who  could  see  no  connection  between  arithmetic  and  the 
catechism,  between  religion  and  getting  a  living  out  of  the  world. 

The  Protestant  sects,  with  a  few  exceptions,  had  given  up  the 
idea  of  religion  in  the  schools,  partly  through  indifference,  partly 
through  dread  of  Catholic  progress,  fearing  that  the  Catholics 
would  benefit  more  than  they  by  the  State  support  of  schools  in 
which  religion  was  taught.  They  became  fanatical  in  their  de¬ 
votion  to  the  theory  that  the  State  could  not  and  should  not 
teach  religion. 


(483) 


484  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


They  did  not  see,  and  numbers  of  Catholics  were  in  the  same 
blindness,  how  thoroughly  the  new  agnosticism  was  getting  so¬ 
ciety  in  its  grip  through  the  banishment  of  religion  from  school, 
college,  court,  legislature,  and  all  other  public  places.  Irreligion 
began  to  increase  with  frightful  speed  among  the  young.  In 
1880  it  was  unusual  to  meet  a  youthful  agnostic;  in  1900  they 
were  as  common,  at  every  age  from  ten  to  thirty,  as  Methodists 
or  Episcopalians.  The  Church  authorities  saw  at  an  early  date 
the  spread,  the  influence,  the  designs  of  agnosticism,  particularly 
in  France,  where  the  work  of  banishing  religion  from  the  child’s 
life  had  crystallized  into  a  system.  The  Pope  and  the  bishops 
warned  the  faithful  steadily  of  the  increasing  danger,  recom¬ 
mended  the  erection  of  schools,  urged  the  better  teaching  of  the 
catechism;  finally,  issued  commands.  Against  these  warnings 
and  commands  the  sects  in  English-speaking  lands  used  many 
arguments  to  win  the  Catholics  to  their  views.  The  Council 
ended  discussion  by  the  direct  order  to  face  the  increasing  enemy 
with  a  strong  school  system,  which  religion  would  permeate  as 
the  sun  our  earthly  atmosphere.  Therefore,  the  question  of  ways 
and  means  became  important,  and  at  once  it  was  seen  that  the 
expense  of  a  school  system  would  be  the  chief  obstacle.  Under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances,  a  half  century  or  more  would 
pass  before  the  Church  could  educate  all  the  children,  or  even 
one  half  the  number. 

The  practical  educators  turned  then  to  the  compromise  school, 
that  is,  the  school  receiving  some  aid  from  the  State  on  the  con¬ 
dition  of  taking  State  examinations,  using  State  text-books,  and 
leaving  the  teaching  and  the  exercises  of  religion  to  the  hours 
after  school.  Compromise  schools  were  very  distasteful  to  the 
idealists  and  the  Catholics  interested  in  maintaining  foreign 
languages.  Neither  could  bring  themselves  to  dispassionate 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOLS 


485 


study  of  the  compromise  school.  Editor  McMaster  used  to  lash 
himself  into  a  fury  over  the  temporary  banishment  of  the  cru¬ 
cifix  from  the  school-room.  The  Germans  in  some  quarters  of 
the  West  feared  that  compromise  would  mean  the  banishment 
of  the  German  tongue  from  the  schools,  because  the  State  would 
not  aid  schools  not  teaching  the  vernacular,  and  the  temptation 
of  State  support  for  their  schools  might  be  stronger  than  the  love 
of  the  mother-tongue  for  the  average  man.  This  fear  was  well- 
founded. 

When  the  advocates  of  the  compromise  school  determined  to 
secure  the  approval  of  the  scheme  from  the  hierarchy,  so  that 
under  a  general  ruling  the  parish  priests  could  adopt  the  com¬ 
promise  school  at  pleasure,  a  sharp  controversy  arose.  Arch¬ 
bishop  Ireland  presented  the  question  at  a  meeting  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  archbishops  in  1892,  and  favored  the  acceptance  of  the  com¬ 
promise  school.  Archbishop  Corrigan  opposed  him. 

A  war  of  pamphlets  began,  and  the  idealists  carried  the  matter 
to  Rome,  where  it  seems  to  have  been  discussed  by  the  contend¬ 
ing  parties  with  more  emotion  than  argument.  However,  the 
Roman  authorities  rendered  a  decision  and  gave  an  instruction. 
The  compromise  school  was  to  be  tolerated,  since  the  conditions 
which  demanded  it  really  existed.  This  decision  gave  the  com¬ 
promise  school  a  legal  position,  which  it  had  not  previously. 
The  Papal  Delegate,  Archbishop  Satolli,  in  the  meeting  of  the 
Archbishops  held  in  New  York  in  the  fall  of  1893,  gave  the  in¬ 
struction  in  the  shape  of  fourteen  propositions,  which  were  thence¬ 
forward  to  guide  the  hierarchy  in  its  management  of  Christian 
education.  Before  the  ecclesiastical  courts  therefore  the  com¬ 
promise  school  triumphed,  but  in  the  world  it  failed  for  the  time 
being.  Its  Catholic  opponents  quietly  pointed  out  to  the  Protes¬ 
tant  majority  that  the  compromise  school  was  only  a  Catholic 


48G  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


school  in  disguise;  and  that  majority  promptly  squelched  State 
aid  to  all  schools  under  what  it  called  “sectarian  control.”  The 
long  discussion  had  one  good  effect:  it  opened  the  eyes  of  mil¬ 
lions  to  the  practical  side  of  the  education  question.  Protestants 
got  interested  in  the  religious  training  of  the  children,  as  did 
many  indifferent  Catholics;  bishops  and  pastors,  upon  whom  the 
financial  burden  of  the  school  system  was  sure  to  fall,  studied 
the  real  merits  of  the  compromise  school;  and  at  this  date  it  may 
safely  be  said  that  they  are  fully  convinced  of  the  economical 
principle  that  “half  a  loaf  is  better  than  no  bread.” 

The  decision  of  the  Holy  See  settled  the  entire  matter  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  actual  conditions:  the  church  school,  as  the  ideal  school, 
was  to  be  established  wherever  possible;  the  compromise  school 
could  be  established  where  the  ideal  was  impossible;  where  neither 
could  be  maintained  the  pastors  were  to  do  whatever  they  could, 
to  instruct  in  the  faith,  by  means  of  catechism  classes,  personal 
effort,  and  the  distribution  of  books  and  journals.  The  main 
object  was  the  principle  of  religion  in  the  training  of  the  child, 
particularly  in  a  time  and  country  which  seemed  about  to  abandon 
it.  The  steadiness  with  which  this  principle  was  maintained  by 
the  Church  in  America  won  for  it  the  admiration  of  such  men 
as  the  well-known  Dr.  Hodge,  of  Princeton  University.  In  an 
article  printed  after  his  death  in  the  New  Princeton  Review ,  Jan¬ 
uary,  1887,  he  astonished  the  neglectful  Protestant  body  by  de¬ 
claring  for  the  Catholic  principle  in  education.  He  held  that 
every  school  must  of  necessity  be  either  Christian  or  un-Chris¬ 
tian,  since  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  neutral  education;  that  edu¬ 
cation  involves  the  training  of  the  whole  man  and  all  his  facul¬ 
ties,  of  his  conscience  and  affections  as  well  as  of  his  intellect; 
that  in  the  mass  of  human  knowledge  religious  ideas  are  abso¬ 
lutely  ineradicable;  and  therefore  the  plan  of  excluding  religion 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOLS 


487 


from  instruction  of  the  young  is  not  merely  without  precedent, 
but  also  threatens  both  the  liberties  and  the  civilization  of  the 
country.  Protesting  against  the  mad  and  dangerous  system  of 
public  school  education,  developing  in  the  United  States,  he 
thanked  God  for  preserving  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  true 
to  that  theory  of  education  upon  which  the  fathers  of  the  Repub¬ 
lic  founded  the  public  schools;  and  he  called  upon  both  Catholics 
and  Protestants,  as  disciples  of  a  common  Master,  to  come  to 
an  understanding  and  act  together  for  the  cause  of  religion  in 
education. 

The  cause  no  longer  depended  upon  individuals  for  its  prog¬ 
ress  in  New  York.  The  work  became  diocesan  by  the  introduc¬ 
tion  of  the  school  boards  in  each  county  and  the  formation  of  the 
examining  boards.  After  some  experimenting  a  superintendent 
was  appointed  over  all  the  church  schools,  with  power  to  examine 
into  conditions  and  methods,  to  suggest  changes  and  to  report  to 
the  school  authorities.  Rev.  M.  J.  Considine  held  the  position 
for  a  decade,  and  proved  the  value  of  the  office  by  the  surprising 
results  obtained.  He  took  up  every  question  concerned  with 
the  education  of  the  child:  the  school  itself,  its  construction,  con¬ 
veniences,  sanitary  condition,  ventilation,  lighting,  and  heating; 
the  fitness  of  the  teachers  and  the  value  of  their  methods;  the 
character  of  the  text-books  and  the  value  of  the  general  results. 
After  a  time  he  prepared  a  manual  for  teachers  and  pastors,  em¬ 
bodying  the  experience  and  study  of  his  superintendency,  which 
was  issued  by  the  School  Board,  and  proved  an  excellent  aid  to 
the  interested.  The  stimulus  provided  by  the  constant  visitation, 
examination,  and  approval  or  disapproval  of  the  superintendent, 
by  his  regular  reports  to  the  Board,  and  by  the  interest  of  the 
authorities  in  the  work,  led  to  a  steady  improvement  of  the  church 
schools  in  every  direction.  Old  buildings  were  improved,  new 


488  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


methods  were  adopted,  a  higher  average  in  teaching  was  reached. 
The  more  interested  pastors  went  deeply  into  the  matter  and 
achieved  such  successes  as  the  schools  of  St.  Joseph  and  St. 
Stephen,  modern  structures  of  beauty  and  capacity,  equal  in  all 
respects  and  superior  in  many  to  the  best  public  schools. 

A  strong  effort  was  made  to  give  the  schools  more  intimate 
connection  with  the  life  of  the  time,  to  have  their  instruction  bear 
as  much  as  possible  upon  the  difficult  art  of  making  a  living. 
With  this  end  in  view  many  church  schools  were  affiliated  with 
the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  familiarly  known  as 
the  Regents.  It  was  not  a  teaching  body,  simply  providing  ex¬ 
aminations,  conferring  degrees,  and  giving  aid  and  encourage¬ 
ment  to  all  forms  of  educational  work.  By  taking  the  Regents’ 
examinations  the  pupils  became  eligible  for  advancement  in  cer¬ 
tain  directions.  Those  preparing  for  the  profession  of  teaching 
were  trained  for  the  entrance  examinations  of  the  Normal  schools; 
others  were  prepared  for  college;  the  commercial  schools  helped 
the  graduates  to  secure  positions  ;  and  room  was  found  in  time 
for  the  lay  teacher  in  the  church  school.  The  general  improve¬ 
ment  within  ten  years  was  so  emphatic,  so  even,  and  so  complete, 
as  to  challenge  the  attention  and  admiration  of  the  expert.  At 
the  close  of  the  century  there  were  55,000  children  in  the  diocesan 
schools,  and  20,000  in  the  charitable  institutions.  The  sum  of 
half  a  million  dollars  was  annually  expended  for  the  support  of 
the  system,  and  ten  millions  was  the  sum  invested  in  school 
properties.  It  was  not  without  justification  that  the  Catholic 
body  then  made  a  demand  upon  the  State  for  their  share  of  the 
taxes  raised  for  the  support  of  the  common  schools.  Of  course 
the  State  declined  support  or  aid,  and  even  attempted  in  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1895  to  cut  off  for  twenty  years 
any  chance  to  do  the  church  school  justice.  In  the  struggle 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOLS 


489 


that  resulted,  the  Catholic  representatives  of  the  Convention  were 
able  to  hinder  that  wrong. 

Higher  education  made  considerable  progress  and  got  rid  of 
some  useless  traditions,  mostly  through  the  wholesome  effect  of 
competition.  The  secular  institutions  devoted  themselves  with 
solicitude  to  the  preparation  of  students  for  their  life-work  or  for 
a  livelihood,  and  the  convents,  colleges,  and  academies,  though 
less  flexible  or  less  willing  than  the  lower  schools,  had  to  follow 
suit.  While  the  old-fashioned  curriculums  remained  as  to  form 
and  valuable  essentials,  an  attempt  was  made  to  shape  them  to 
the  needs  of  the  times.  The  most  significant  result  was  the  estab¬ 
lishment  of  a  woman’s  college  by  the  Ursuline  Sisters  at  New 
Rochelle,  in  1902,  in  which  girls  could  take  up  the  modern  studies 
and  take  the  college  degree  as  in  the  famous  secular  institutions. 
The  female  communities  in  the  diocese  for  the  most  part  were 
too  wedded  to  the  ancient  routine  to  accept  change,  but  the  Ursu- 
lines  proved  themselves  sufficiently  flexible  to  attempt  a  new  thing 
and  to  respond  to  a  new  need.  The  Franciscan  Sisters,  of  Peek- 
skill,  undertook  a  fine  enterprise  at  West  Point  by  purchasing  a 
hotel  property  and  founding  an  academy  for  girls  known  as  Lady- 
cliff,  with  the  intention  of  introducing  the  best  modern  system  of 
teaching.  In  the  city,  the  Marist  Brothers  opened  an  academy 
for  the  commercial  branches,  and  raised  it  to  popularity  and  effi¬ 
ciency.  The  Jesuits  founded  the  Loyola  academy  for  the  wealth¬ 
ier  class  of  pupils,  where  they  trained  boys  for  college,  and  the 
Augustinians  started  an  academy  in  Staten  Island.  These  three 
institutions  were  directed  to  present  needs,  consulted  modern 
tastes,  and  were  admirably  fitted  for  the  special  work  which  they 
had  to  do. 

The  Christian  Brothers  bought  the  old  Charlier  Institute  on 
West  Fifty-ninth  Street  and  founded  a  very  successful  high  school. 


490  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


for  which  the  educators  had  long  been  appealing.  It  was  so  well 
managed  that  within  a  decade  of  its  opening  it  had  won  a  sound 
reputation  for  effective  teaching.  Manhattan  College  was  strength¬ 
ened  in  many  ways  both  as  to  the  faculty  and  the  courses  of  study, 
and  the  foundations  of  the  new  Manhattan  in  the  Bronx  district 
were  laid.  Misfortune  fell  upon  the  Brothers  in  the  last  decade 
of  the  century,  when  they  were  ordered  by  their  superiors  to  give 
up  the  teaching  of  the  classics  and  return  to  the  curriculum  allowed 
by  the  rule  of  their  founder.  In  the  early  days  of  their  American 
career  the  Holy  See  had  raised  the  prohibition  against  the  teach¬ 
ing  of  the  ancient  classics,  that  they  might  establish  colleges  for 
the  training  of  the  diocesan  clergy.  Vocations  were  then  rare, 
and  too  many  of  them  found  their  way  into  the  teaching  commu¬ 
nities  at  a  time  when  priests  were  sadly  needed  on  the  mission. 
The  classical  colleges  founded  by  the  Brothers  became  the  nur¬ 
series  of  the  diocesan  priesthood,  and  the  order  which  abolished 
the  classics  proved  a  serious  blow  both  to  the  community  and 
the  bishops. 

The  change  was  long  resisted  by  recourse  to  the  various  tri¬ 
bunals  in  charge  of  such  matters,  but  the  final  decision  sustained 
the  superiors,  and  the  classical  colleges  were  abolished.  The 
American  Brothers,  however,  accepted  the  change  bravely,  and 
set  out  to  build  anew  their  overturned  foundations,  resisting  the 
natural  and  profitable  temptation  to  form  an  independent  com¬ 
munity.  The  Jesuits  in  Fordham  and  St.  Francis  Xavier  prac¬ 
tically  rebuilt  these  two  institutions,  and  by  various  measures 
increased  their  efficiency  two-fold.  The  buildings  of  St.  John’s 
were  increased  until  the  place  took  on  the  material  form  of  a  uni¬ 
versity  in  dignity.  The  city  college  was  also  enlarged  to  meet 
the  increased  numbers,  and  the  moral  influence  of  the  establish¬ 
ment  was  very  much  widened  by  the  grouping  in  it  of  many  acti- 


THE  CHURCH  SCHOOLS 


491 


vities,  social,  religious,  and  intellectual.  With  the  foundation  of 
a  general  magazine,  the  Messenger,  and  a  printing  establishment 
conducted  generously,  the  institution  became  a  remarkable  centre 
of  religion  and  intellectuality. 

The  educational  edifice  was  nobly  crowned  by  the  erection 
of  the  new  seminary  of  St.  Joseph  at  Dunwoodie,  probably  the 
most  beautiful  structure  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  Its  final  cost 
must  have  been  over  one  million  dollars.  In  all  its  details  it 
is  a  modern  American  building,  of  good  stone,  perfectly  lighted, 
heated,  and  ventilated,  possessed  of  all  the  conveniences  demanded 
by  American  habits,  and  made  to  endure  for  a  few  centuries.  It 
was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Sulpician  community,  a  society  estab¬ 
lished  over  two  centuries  ago  in  Paris  for  the  special  work  of  train¬ 
ing  the  diocesan  clergy,  and  which  has  recently  taken  on  an  Amer¬ 
ican  development  with  such  success  that  the  great  seminaries  in 
Boston,  San  Francisco,  and  New  York  have  been  confided  to  its 
care.  Its  previous  achievement,  in  Paris,  Montreal,  and  Balti¬ 
more,  had  won  for  it  large  praise  and  the  confidence  of  the  hie¬ 
rarchy.  At  the  close  of  Archbishop  Corrigan’s  rule,  the  general 
condition  of  the  entire  system  of  education  was  fair,  and  the  out¬ 
look  for  the  future  very  promising. 


St.  John  Baptist 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


THE  WORKS  OF  CHARITY 

A  GOOD-SIZED  volume  would  be 
required  to  describe  fairly  the 
advance  and  improvement  of  the  char¬ 
ity  system  of  the  diocese.  Here  it  must 
be  content  with  a  short  chapter,  which 
will  outline 

of  its  history  during  this  period.  Next 
to  the  work  of  salvation  the  dispensing 
of  charity  most  attracts  and  engages 
our  Holy  Mother  the  Church;  so 
that  the  works  of  charity  bloom  forth 
almost  with  violence,  requiring  re¬ 
straint  and  direction  in  favorable 
times.  The  new  charities  were  born  of  new  conditions.  Five 
day  nurseries  were  established:  for  the  Italians  on  East  Twelfth 
Street,  in  care  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Pious  Society  of  Missions; 
in  Washington  Square,  under  the  Holy  Cross  Sisters;  on  East 
Sixty-seventh  Street,  under  the  Sisters  of  Charity;  on  West  Fifty- 
fourth  Street  and  East  Thirty-third  Street  under  lay  manage¬ 
ment.  The  day  nursery  took  charge  of  little  children  whose 
mothers  were  compelled  to  work  out  for  a  living  and  had  no 
place  to  leave  them  safely.  The  nursery  kept  the  little  ones 
the  whole  day,  fed  and  cleaned  and  trained  them,  and  returned 
them  to  the  joyful  mothers  in  the  evening;  and  the  work  proved 
popular  and  helpful. 


briefly  the  main  features 


Monsignor  Burtsell 


(492) 


THE  WORKS  OF  CHARITY 


493 


Two  homes  for  working  girls  were  opened,  where  for  a  fair 
sum  they  could  get  not  only  shelter  but  a  beautiful  home;  one 
in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  known  as  the  Regina  Angelorum, 
the  other  in  the  care  of  the  Divine  Compassion  Sisters  in  the  mis¬ 
sion  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Wayside.  This  charity  was  prompted 
by  the  wretched  condition  of  the  boarding-houses  in  which  work¬ 
ing  girls  had  to  live.  Two  training-schools  were  opened  for 
women,  at  White  Plains  by  the  Divine  Compassion  Sisters,  and 
in  the  city  by  the  benefaction  of  William  R.  Grace,  who  built 
and  equipped  the  Grace  Institute  and  also  endowed  it.  In 
both,  women  are  taught  various  useful  arts  for  making  a  living 
or  for  managing  a  home.  For  friendless  women,  St.  Zita’s  Home 
on  East  Fifty-second  Street  was  opened,  in  charge  of  Miss  Ellen 
O’Keefe.  Two  homes  for  convalescents  were  founded,  at  Spring 
Valley  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  and  at  Tuckahoe  in 
charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity;  a  charity  made  necessary  by  the 
discharge  of  poor  patients  from  the  hospitals  as  soon  as  cured, 
although  yet  unable  to  maintain  themselves  by  labor.  For  arriv¬ 
ing  immigrants  no  less  than  four  bureaus  were  established  in 
behalf  of  the  Irish,  the  Germans,  the  Italians,  the  Poles  and  Lith¬ 
uanians.  Each  had  a  chaplain,  and  some  had  Sisters  in  charge; 
friendless  girls  could  find  in  them  a  temporary  home,  and  all 
immigrants  were  aided  in  every  possible  way  according  to 
their  need.  The  novel  charity  known  as  the  Fresh  Air  Society 
during  the  summer  sent  out  bands  of  poor  children  to  the 
country  for  a  two  weeks’  vacation  ;  the  work  was  begun  by 
Rev.  D.  J.  McMahon  in  1897,  and  at  the  present  time  an 
institution  in  Spring  Valley  receives  all  the  Fresh  Air  children. 
For  seafaring  men  a  society  was  established  and  a  reading-room 
opened  in  the  care  of  Rev.  William  Dougherty,  who  gave  his 
whole  time  to  this  charity;  so  that  the  seamen  have  a  chaplain 


494  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


devoted  to  their  interest,  studious  of  their  conditions,  and  always 
ready  to  give  them  aid. 

Two  maternity  hospitals  were  established,  one  in  connection 
with  the  Foundling  Asylum,  the  other  by  the  Sisters  of  Miseri- 
corde,  a  Canadian  community.  Two  cancer  hospitals  were 
opened  under  singular  circumstances.  The  Women  of  Calvary 
is  a  society  of  French  origin,  whose  membership  must  be  com¬ 
posed  of  widows  who  desire  to  devote  themselves  to  the  care  of 
the  incurable  sufferers  of  cancer.  They  established  a  house  of 
this  character  in  Perry  Street,  where  female  patients  without 
friends,  and  rejected  as  incurable  by  the  hospitals,  find  shelter 
and  care.  The  daughter  of  the  novelist  Hawthorne  undertook 
to  minister  to  the  poor,  suffering  from  cancer,  making  no  restric¬ 
tions  as  to  sex.  Known  to  the  world  as  Mrs.  Rose  Hawthorne 
Lathrop,  she  opened  a  home  for  these  unfortunates  in  New  York; 
investigation  of  the  field  showed  her  the  evident  necessity  for 
charity  of  this  kind;  she  gathered  a  few  companions  to  aid  her, 
and  in  time  the  charity  developed  into  a  little  community  of 
Dominican  Tertiaries  with  a  reception  house  in  Cherry  Street  and 
a  good  hospital  in  the  country.  They  are  known  as  the  Servants 
of  Relief,  and  make  their  specialty  immediate  relief  of  the  can¬ 
cerous  poor.  Hospitals  for  consumptives  were  opened  by  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  at  Spuyten-Duyvil,  and  by  the  Sisters  of  the 
Poor  of  St.  Francis  on  East  One  Hundred  Forty-fourth  Street. 
A  hospital  for  the  Italians  was  founded  by  the  Missionary  Sisters 
of  the  Sacred  Heart.  All  the  old  ones  were  enlarged  to  meet  a 
larger  demand.  Two  training-schools  for  nurses  at  St.  Vin¬ 
cent’s  in  the  city  and  with  the  Benedictines  at  Rondout  provided 
a  number  of  nurses  yearly. 

Of  the  voluntary  charities  there  was  no  end.  Clubs  for  boys 
and  girls  were  opened  in  various  parts  of  the  city  under  the  man- 


THE  WORKS  OF  CHARITY 


495 


agement  of  benevolent  persons;  the  hospitals  were  visited  by 
ladies  able  to  afford  the  leisure;  the  blind  were  cared  for  in  many 
ways,  and  a  library  was  founded  for  them;  settlement  work  was 
begun  in  the  Dominican  parish  under  the  patronage  of  a  con¬ 
vert,  Mrs.  Arnold,  who  gave  liberally  of  her  time,  means,  and 
interest  to  make  it  useful.  The  development  of  the  St.  Vincent 
de  Paul  Society  continued  in  a  striking  fashion,  and  under  the 
fostering  care  of  Mr.  Thomas  Mulry  it  became  the  great  moral 
support  of  all  the  charities,  lending  its  experience,  its  influence, 
its  guidance  to  the  workers  in  every  department.  As  the  charity 
administration  became  a  most  complex  affair  in  New  York,  owing 
to  the  peculiar  conditions  and  the  numbers  giving  or  receiving 
aid,  the  interest  and  skill  of  a  leader  like  Mr.  Mulry,  at  the  head 
of  a  society  so  devoted  and  experienced,  became  an  absolute 
necessity.  Among  other  works  of  the  society  the  most  peculiar 
and  instructive  was  the  establishment  of  The  Home  Bureau, 
which  undertook  to  remove  orphan  children  from  the  care  of 
institutions  to  the  comfort  of  private  homes,  in  which,  as  adopted 
children  or  as  beloved  charges,  they  could  receive  the  benefit 
of  true  home  training.  The  work  during  its  six  years  of  effort 
has  prospered,  accomplished  much  good,  and  relieved  the  tax¬ 
payers  of  part  of  the  burden.  In  the  development  of  the  char¬ 
ity  system  Mr.  Mulry  and  the  society  rendered  most  important 
service. 

A  Constitutional  Convention  was  held  by  the  State  of  New 
York  in  1894.  The  charity  question  received  from  it  consider¬ 
able  attention.  The  aid  furnished  by  the  city  of  New  York  to 
private  institutions  had  long  occasioned  discussion,  partly  because 
so  much  of  that  aid  went  to  Catholic  charities.  Without  regard 

o 

to  the  merits  of  the  question,  one  section  of  the  community  had 
determined  to  cut  off  all  such  aid  by  making  it  unconstitutional. 


496  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


For  some  months  before  the  convention  assembled,  an  industrious 
campaign  was  carried  on  among  the  delegates  to  prepare  them 
for  an  onslaught  on  the  private  charities.  The  committee  to 
which  was  consigned  the  charity  question  had  for  its  chairman 
a  man  of  marked  ability  and  liberal  training,  the  distinguished 
New  York  lawyer,  Mr.  Edward  Lauterbach,  which  proved  to  be 
a  most  fortunate  thing  for  all  concerned.  In  order  to  obtain  data 
for  framing  constitutional  prohibitions  against  the  private  chari¬ 
ties,  committees  were  appointed  to  visit  them  and  draw  up  re¬ 
ports.  The  visitation  took  several  weeks,  and  was  conducted  in 
the  most  searching  manner.  The  most  prejudiced  delegates  had 
to  admit  that  the  private  institutions  of  charity  easily  surpassed 
the  State  concerns,  were  fully  up  to  the  standard,  and  had  very 
few  weak  points. 

To  shut  them  out  from  State  aid  involved  a  most  serious  con¬ 
sequence  —  the  taxpayers  would  have  to  take  charge  of  the  in¬ 
mates  whom  they  would  be  forced  to  dismiss,  to  build  homes 
for  them,  and  to  support  them  at  a  much  higher  rate  than  the 
present  cost.  It  was  discovered  that  the  buildings  of  these  private 
charities  had  all  been  paid  for  by  private  beneficence,  that  special 
expenses  were  always  borne  by  charitable  individuals,  and  that 
all  this  contribution  would  cease,  as  far  as  the  State  was  concerned, 
with  the  abolition  of  the  small  sum  now  advanced  from  the  gen¬ 
eral  treasury.  The  small-minded  would  nevertheless  have  with¬ 
drawn  the  cooperation  of  the  State  in  private  charities  in  spite 
of  the  figures,  and  they  fought  hard  to  amend  the  constitution 
to  this  end.  The  convention  was  against  them.  Mr.  Lauter¬ 
bach  made  a  report  which  set  the  whole  matter  in  its  proper  light 
before  the  disinterested  delegates.  Speaking  of  the  visitation  of 
the  private  institutions,  he  said:  “As  a  result  of  these  investiga¬ 
tions,  the  committee  is  unanimously  of  the  opinion  that  the  public 


THE  WORKS  OF  CHARITY 


497 


has  received  adequate  return  for  all  moneys  paid  to  private  char¬ 
itable  institutions;  that  the  expenditures  made  have  been,  in  most 
instances,  far  less  than  if  the  institutions  had  been  conducted 
by  the  public;  that  the  religious  training  which  is  insured  for  the 
young  by  the  methods  now  pursued  is  of  incalculable  benefit; 
that  the  care  of  those  in  private  institutions  is  better  than  that 
received  in  those  under  control  of  public  local  officers,  and  is  at 
least  as  good  and  fully  on  a  par  with  the  institutions,  fewer  in 
number,  directly  under  the  control  of  the  State  itself;  but  the  pub¬ 
lic  moneys  expended  under  the  prevailing  methods  are  supple¬ 
mented  by  the  expenditure  of  enormous  sums  from  private  sources ; 
that,  to  a  large  extent,  the  buildings  and  accessories  of  these  organ¬ 
izations  have  been  supplied  at  private  cost;  and  that  the  method 
upon  the  whole  is  certainly  the  most  economical  that  can  be  de¬ 
vised,  and  will  be  still  more  economical  when  some  comparatively 
trifling  abuses,  such  as  the  too  long  retention  of  inmates  or  laxity 
in  their  admissions,  shall  have  been  remedied. 

“If  the  amendments  proposed  by  the  earnest  people  who 
submitted  them  were  carried  out  to  their  legitimate  conclusion, 
and  if  the  partial  support  from  public  sources  to  orphan  asylums, 
foundling  asylums,  and  kindred  institutions,  which  are  neces¬ 
sarily  under  denominational  control,  were  withdrawn,  it  is  to  be 
feared  the  State  itself  or  its  civil  divisions  would  be  called  upon  at 
infinitely  greater  cost  to  perform  a  service  which  it  could  never 
adequately  render,  and  which  would  tend  to  deprive  the  orphan, 
the  foundling,  the  sick,  and  the  other  unfortunate  dependants 
upon  charity,  of  the  advantages  afforded  through  the  aid  of  thou¬ 
sands  of  volunteers,  many  of  whom  now  devote  their  lives,  with¬ 
out  compensation,  to  cooperation  with  the  State  in  this  its  noblest 
work,  inspired  thereto  by  praiseworthy  religious  impulses,  and 
which  bring  to  these  institutions,  not  the  perfunctory  service  which 


498  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


would  be  rendered  by  paid  public  officials,  many  of  them  qualified 
only  by  political  service,  but  a  sincere  devotion  of  officers,  direct¬ 
ors,  managers,  and  subordinates  engaged  in  their  work  as  a 
labor  of  love  and  not  of  emolument.  ” 

The  amendment  offered  by  the  opposition  read  as  follows: 
“No  law  shall  be  passed  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion, 
or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof,  nor  shall  the  State,  or 
any  county,  city,  town,  village,  or  other  civil  division,  use  its 
property  or  credit,  or  any  money  raised  by  taxation,  or  otherwise, 
or  authorize  either  to  be  used,  for  the  purpose  of  founding,  main¬ 
taining,  or  aiding,  by  appropriation,  payment  for  services,  ex¬ 
penses,  or  in  any  other  manner,  any  church,  religious  denomina¬ 
tion,  or  religious  society,  or  any  institution,  society,  or  undertaking 
which  is  wholly  or  in  part  under  sectarian  or  ecclesiastical  con¬ 
trol.”  It  was  rejected,  and  another  substituted  in  accordance 
with  the  report  of  Mr.  Lauterbach.  What  was  called  the  New 
York  System,  public  and  private  charities  working  harmoni¬ 
ously  towards  the  common  end,  the  latter  partially  supported 
by  the  city  and  inspected  by  it,  remained  intact,  having  survived 
the  attacks  of  all  its  enemies  in  the  convention,  together  with 
the  natural  vicissitudes  of  twenty  years;  at  the  same  time  leaving 
an  impression  nicely  put  into  words  by  Mr.  Lauterbach  at  the 
time,  that  “he  who  would  lay  a  hostile  hand  through  the  Con¬ 
stitution  upon  the  existing  condition  of  the  law,  so  far  as  it  affected 
charitable  institutions,  would  be  a  foe  to  the  State  and  inimical 
to  its  true  interests.”  In  the  great  fight  to  secure  the  New  York 
System  for  at  least  another  twenty  years,  the  representative  Cath¬ 
olic  men  of  the  diocese,  lawyers  and  politicians,  business  men 
and  clerics,  and  the  officers  of  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society, 
displayed  a  spirit  and  ability  beyond  all  praise. 

This  remarkable  and  serious  incident  revealed  to  the  Arch- 


THE  WORKS  OF  CHARITY 


499 


bishop  the  absolute  need  of  having  a  superintendency  of  the 
charity  department.  At  first  this  duty  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  committee  of  four,  and  later  given  over  to  the  care  of  Rev. 
Thomas  Kinkead  in  1898.  His  successful  administration  of  two 
years  revealed  still  further  the  possibilities,  and  upon  his  resigna¬ 
tion  from  ill-health,  Rev.  Denis  McMahon  took  charge.  This 
office  formed  the  third  chapter  in  the  development  of  the  charity 
system,  and  indicated  the  complex  nature  of  the  present  situation. 
The  amended  constitution  gave  the  State  Board  of  Charities 
larger  powers,  and  it  proceeded  at  once  to  exercise  them.  Among 
other  things  it  claimed  the  right  to  probe  all  charitable  associa¬ 
tions,  whether  receiving  State  aid  or  not.  Upon  this  claim  it 
investigated  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society.  When  it  attempted 
to  do  the  same  service  for  the  Children’s  Aid  Society,  that  organi¬ 
zation  denied  its  powers,  and  was  sustained  in  its  contention  by 
the  highest  court.  Its  rights  over  institutions  receiving  State  aid 
were  not  denied,  and  at  any  moment  its  officers  may  appear  for  an 
investigation.  On  the  other  hand,  philanthropy  has  become  a 
profession,  with  its  schools,  its  press,  and  its  practising  gradu¬ 
ates,  forever  gathering  facts  and  figures,  from  which  to  draw  sur¬ 
prising  deductions,  and  out  of  these  to  suggest  the  most  annoy¬ 
ing  legislation.  The  philanthropists,  the  state  board,  the  health 
board,  the  comptroller,  all  have  their  turn  at  investigation  and 
suggestion.  There  are  conventions,  special  meetings,  and  what 
not,  in  which  mischief  may  happen  as  well  as  good.  The  super¬ 
intendent  has  to  keep  his  eye  on  all  these  matters,  be  present  at 
all  charity  assemblies,  scrutinize  the  legislation  of  the  hour;  and 
at  the  same  time  it  is  his  business  to  help  the  natural  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  charity  system  within,  to  make  improvements,  to 
bend  all  minds  to  the  best  methods  and  the  most  harmonious 
action. 


500  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


One  of  the  first  results  of  the  superintendent’s  work  was  the 
formation  in  March  of  1902,  only  a  few  weeks  before  the  lamented 
death  of  Archbishop  Corrigan,  of  an  association  of  Catholic 
Charities,  with  the  aim  of  uniting  Catholic  women  in  works  of 
charity.  Numbers  of  them  were  already  engaged  in  charitable 
work  in  all  its  forms,  but  with  no  central  direction.  Committees 
were  formed  of  the  women  engaged  in  each  charity,  and  from 
the  committees  the  chairmen  were  selected  to  form  an  executive 
committee,  which  elected  its  proper  officers.  For  three  years 
this  organization  has  been  in  active  control  of  the  volunteer  work 
with  the  happiest  results.  The  members  of  the  association  visit 
the  prisons,  poor  families,  the  sick  in  the  hospitals,  the  blind  in 
the  institutions;  they  engage  in  nursery  work,  in  fresh  air  work, 
in  managing  clubs  for  girls.  Some  attend  the  children’s  court, 
others  do  settlement  work,  teach  catechism  classes  among  the 
foreign  population,  manage  sewing  societies.  Reports  are  regu¬ 
larly  made  to  the  central  committee,  and  the  working  of  the 
entire  body  can  be  seen  almost  at  a  glance.  Among  these  activi¬ 
ties,  one  of  the  most  touching  is  the  work  performed  by  the  Guild 
of  the  Infant  Saviour,  an  association  founded  by  Father  Kinkead 
to  look  after  abandoned  babies,  to  shelter  homeless  women  with 
infants,  and  to  find  them  work  and  security  against  the  tempta¬ 
tions  of  their  position.  The  department  of  public  charities  turns 
over  to  it  all  abandoned  infants,  for  whom  it  provides  at  its  own 
expense,  maintaining  an  office  and  employing  four  experienced 
women  to  look  after  the  details. 

Another  result  of  the  superintendent’s  work  has  been  the 
securing  of  payment  for  teachers  in  the  school-rooms  of  the  insti¬ 
tutions,  who  are  now  allowed  fifteen  dollars  a  year  for  each  child 
attending  school.  Many  of  the  Sisters  have  taken  the  proper 
State  examinations,  which  is  the  condition  for  obtaining  the  city 


THE  WORKS  OF  CHARITY 


501 


aid  in  education,  and  have  thus  qualified  to  teach  in  any  school. 
The  present  condition  of  the  charity  department  is  of  the  most 
satisfactory  nature.  The  religious  communities  in  charge  show 
every  year  more  flexibility  and  attain  greater  efficiency.  The 
interference  of  the  hostile  and  critical  has  been  of  the  greatest 
service,  since  it  stirred  up  the  spirit  of  self-respect  and  honest 
ambition,  renewed  methods,  and  shook  off  slumberous  content 
with  worn-out  conditions. 


St.  Augustine’s 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


THE  development  of  education  and 
charity  meant  the  growth  of  the 


Judge  Morgan  O’Brien 


religious  communities,  which  are  the 
economic  basis  of  both  departments. 
Not  only  do  they  bring  to  these  works 
the  spirit  of  religion  and  the  expert 
training,  they  also  reduce  the  expense 
probably  by  one-half.  Consequently 
they  are  so  popular  as  to  shut  out  lay 
work,  except  as  tributary  and  submis¬ 
sive  to  their  methods.  In  New  York, 
this  irritating  consequence  was  pre¬ 
vented  by  the  growth  of  the  St.  Vin¬ 
cent  de  Paul  Conferences  into  an  organization  well  able  to  care 
for  its  own  independence,  and  to  protect  the  layman  from  de¬ 
structive  competition  in  his  own  field;  and  also  by  the  forma¬ 
tion  of  the  Association  of  Catholic  charities,  which  did  the  same 
service  for  the  women  engaged  in  works  of  charity. 

In  the  department  of  education,  however,  the  religious  com¬ 
munities  are  in  undisputed  possession,  partly  because  the  church 
school  cannot  afford  to  pay  a  layman’s  salary,  chiefly  because  of 
their  success  in  the  religious  training  of  the  child.  When  we 
reach  the  affluence  and  experience  which  call  for  specialization, 
it  will  be  the  turn  of  the  lay  educator;  and  his  appearance  in  the 
field  will  be  beneficial  to  the  communities,  which  are  apt  to  be- 

(502) 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


503 


come  stiff-necked  when  competition  is  absent,  being  very  fond 
of  their  ancient  methods.  However,  three  hundred  lay  teachers 
are  at  work  in  the  church  schools,  and  the  number  increases 
yearly. 

Nearly  all  the  communities  in  the  diocese  flourished  during 
Archbishop  Corrigan’s  time.  He  himself  had  a  fondness  for 
them.  The  diocesan  needs  demanded  and  encouraged  them, 
and  vocations  became  fairly  numerous  considering  the  circum¬ 
stances.  In  1902,  the  religious  priests  in  the  diocese  numbered 
two  hundred,  which  was  two-sevenths  of  the  whole  number; 
the  male  communities,  not  priests,  were  about  five  hundred,  and 
the  nuns  summed  up  twenty-five  hundred.  The  directories  of 
1902  did  not  give  the  exact  figures,  which  had  to  be  fished  out 
from  the  undigested  mass  of  information  usually  offered  by  these 
useful  and  incorrect  guides.  Eight  new  male  communities  and 
sixteen  female  had  entered  the  diocese  between  1885  and  1902, 
adding  about  six  or  seven  hundred  members  to  the  total.  The 
conditions  of  work  have  become  so  favorable  in  New  York  as 
compared  with  other  parts  of  the  country,  that  the  communities 
would  have  exceeded  all  proportions  had  not  the  authorities 
checked  the  increase  by  declining  to  admit  any  more.  Constant 
petitions  for  admission  come  from  communities,  both  foreign  and 
domestic,  eager  to  get  a  footing  in  the  great  metropolis. 

In  general  their  history  has  followed  the  routine  lines  with 
some  new  features.  In  proportion  as  they  grew  in  power  they 
lost  the  flexibility  of  their  youth,  and  showed  indifference  to  the 
criticism  given  them  for  their  unwillingness  to  adapt  themselves 
to  the  times.  Punishment  for  this  lack  of  adaptability  is  rather 
speedy  in  New  York,  entailing  loss  of  popularity,  and,  therefore, 
shutting  off  opportunity.  That  community  is  most  successful 
which  attempts  the  greatest  variety  in  its  work,  or,  if  it  has  only 


504  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


one  work,  which  seeks  the  most  fruitful  variety  in  its  methods. 
The  Sisters  of  Charity  and  the  Christian  Brothers  are  shining 
examples  of  variety  in  work  and  popular  success.  At  first  the 
communities  clung  to  their  ancient  forms  with  their  usual  devo¬ 
tion,  both  in  the  work  of  charity  and  of  education.  They  were 
willing  to  be  tied  to  the  stake  in  defence  of  them.  The  invasion 
of  the  bigots  into  the  charity  work,  with  intention  to  cut  off  State 
aid,  the  investigations  of  all  sorts  of  committees  with  complaints 
and  suggestions,  and  the  urgent  advice  of  the  authorities,  brought 
about  a  revolution  among  them,  and  made  them  brisk,  efficient, 
and  up-to-date  in  the  modern  sense.  The  few  resisted  and  de¬ 
cayed. 

In  education  the  same  temper  displayed  itself,  but  when  the 
people  deserted  the  schools  and  colleges,  going  where  they  could 
get  what  they  wanted  or  what  they  thought  they  needed,  the 
teaching  communities  with  few  exceptions  had  to  follow.  They 
adapted  their  courses  more  or  less  to  the  popular  demand,  and 
strove  for  results  which  pleased  the  popular  taste.  In  the  parish 
administration,  a  similar  condition  had  the  same  consequence. 
The  diocesan  priests  developed  the  modern  parish,  and  the  reli¬ 
gious  communities  in  charge  of  parishes,  although  unwilling  at 
first,  had  to  arise  from  their  slumbers  and  adopt  the  more  modern 
methods,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  better  them.  The  com¬ 
plaisance  of  assumed  superiority  and  triple  excellence  brings  in 
no  revenue  in  the  American  world. 

The  relations  between  the  communities  and  the  diocesan 
clergy  for  the  most  part  continued  rather  cordial.  The  members 
of  both  sections,  having  been  brought  up  in  the  same  colleges, 
held  the  old  fellowship  in  remembrance;  the  social  life  enabled 
them  to  keep  up  early  friendship,  which  the  religious  superiors 
wisely  encouraged;  and  thus  the  community  life  did  not  act  as  a 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


505 


barrier  between  the  priests  who  had  been  boys  together.  This 
simple  fact  represents  the  whole  tendency  of  American  social 
life,  which  is  to  destroy  all  artificial  barriers,  no  matter  how 
worthy,  that  prevent  a  fine  understanding  between  man  and  man. 

To  speak  more  particularly  of  the  new  and  the  old  communi¬ 
ties,  the  Jesuits  came  to  the  conclusion,  at  which  the  whole  world 
was  just  then  arriving,  that  New  York  offered  a  religious  com¬ 
munity  as  glorious  an  opportunity  as  the  most  zealous  could 
desire.  They  took  up  their  peculiar  work  with  all  the  energy 
of  which  their  society  is  capable.  Their  two  colleges  were  ex¬ 
tended,  strengthened,  built  up  in  all  their  dimensions.  The 
Loyola  School  was  added  to  meet  a  real  and  pressing  need.  At 
Poughkeepsie  they  established  a  fine  novitiate  and  house  of  re¬ 
treat  in  the  best  American  architecture;  their  mission  and  retreat 
work  increased  in  value.  The  foundation  of  a  monthly  maga¬ 
zine,  the  Messenger,  with  other  apostolic  publishings,  added 
greatly  to  the  force  of  the  Catholic  press;  their  chaplaincy  work 
continued  on  good  lines;  their  parishes  became  more  modern  in 
efficiency;  and  they  took  up  work  for  the  Italians.  While  the 
quantity  of  their  work  was  notable,  its  excellence  was  so  empha¬ 
tic  as  to  make  the  difference  between  the  two  periods,  under  Dr. 
McCloskey  and  Dr.  Corrigan,  more  than  noticeable.  The  spirit 
of  it  also  had  a  breadth  and  generosity  that  made  their  success 
not  merely  the  private  possession  of  the  community,  but  some¬ 
thing  in  which  the  whole  diocese  had  a  share. 

For  a  long  time  this  characteristic  had  belonged  solely  to  the 
Paulists,  whose  success  did  not  seem  to  be  so  much  that  of  a  little 
community  as  of  the  entire  Church  of  America.  Their  enter¬ 
prise  lost  no  vigor  with  the  advance  of  time.  Their  apostolic 
printing-press  continued  its  great  work  on  new  lines,  and  stim¬ 
ulated  other  religious  communities  to  the  same  work;  in  fact,  it 


506  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


led  to  a  general  revival  of  the  use  of  the  press  in  all  kinds  of 
religious  work.  They  established  their  novitiate  close  to  the 
Catholic  University  to  secure  for  their  young  members  the  advan¬ 
tage  of  a  university  education.  Three  bands  were  sent  out  to 
found  houses  in  San  Francisco,  Chicago,  and  Kentucky.  Their 
parish  work  continued  to  lead  the  advance  in  originality  and  vari¬ 
ety,  some  of  it  reaching  out  into  other  dioceses,  like  the  reading- 
circle  idea,  and  the  graded  school  in  church  doctrine.  Their  chief 
glory  was  the  successful  launching  of  the  mission  to  non-Catho- 
lics,  in  which  Father  Walter  Elliott,  after  years  of  thought  and 
labor,  elaborated  the  scheme  that  now  promises  to  bring  the 
gospel  to  the  ears  of  all  that  choose  to  hear.  For  the  purpose  of 
training  missionaries  for  the  work,  a  college  was  established  in 
Washington  by  the  exertions  of  Rev.  Alexander  Doyle,  who  col¬ 
lected  the  money  for  its  erection.  It  became  the  property  of  the 
bishops,  and  under  the  title  of  the  Apostolic  Mission  House  has 
Father  Doyle  for  its  rector  and  Father  Elliott  for  its  director, 
his  work  being  to  direct  the  training  of  the  missionaries. 

An  echo  of  the  persecution  carried  on  by  the  French  govern¬ 
ment  against  the  religious  communities  appeared  in  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  a  monastery  at  Sherman  Park  in  Westchester  County  by 
the  Dominicans.  The  government  attempted  to  destroy  all  the 
communities  by  forcing  priests,  theological  students,  and  novices 
into  the  army  for  military  service,  and  would  have  succeeded  but 
for  the  various  methods  resorted  to  by  the  superiors  to  protect 
themselves.  The  Lyons  province  established  in  the  New  York 
diocese  a  monastery  with  the  design  of  training  the  novices  there; 
but  owing  to  unfamiliarity  with  the  climate  and  the  surround¬ 
ings  and  to  various  misfortunes,  the  plan  was  abandoned.  Three 
of  the  priests,  returning  to  France,  perished  in  the  destruction  of 
“  La  Bourgogne”;  three  or  four  others  fell  victims  to  the  rigors  of 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


507 


our  winters;  and  finally  the  monastery  was  sold  to  the  Servants 
of  Relief,  and  the  Fathers  confined  themselves  to  attending  the 
missions  of  the  vicinity  and  to  the  work  of  retreats  and  missions. 
The  present  superior,  Rev.  Alexandre  Mercier,  is  a  gifted  French 
writer  on  theological  subjects,  and  contributes  to  such  periodicals 
as  La  Revue  Thomiste  papers  on  the  eternal  life,  which  are  notable 
for  their  originality  and  careful  research. 

The  Christian  Brothers  suffered  a  serious  set-back  in  the  with¬ 
drawal  of  their  privilege  to  teach  the  classics,  as  we  have  already 
seen;  but  nowise  discouraged  by  the  measure,  they  took  up  the 
problems  of  the  new  situation.  A  new  novitiate  and  home  was 
founded  and  the  building  of  a  new  Manhattan  College  under¬ 
taken;  the  fine  academies  on  Central  Park,  Classon’s  Point,  and 
Second  Street  were  brought  up  to  the  best  standards.  Perhaps 
nothing  contributed  more  to  increase  the  general  esteem  for  this 
community  than  their  excellent  supervision  of  the  Protectory. 
During  the  struggle  for  the  retention  of  the  classical  colleges, 
when  misunderstandings  were  many,  this  esteem  was  increased 
by  their  honorable  refusal  to  separate  from  the  French  portion 
of  the  community  and  set  up  an  independent  institution.  They 
received  every  provocation  to  this  step  from  their  opponents,  but 
resisted  in  behalf  of  the  general  good  of  the  society.  All  the  other 
communities  long  established  in  the  diocese,  male  and  female, 
kept  along  their  usual  lines  with  more  or  less  efficiency,  the  Sisters 
of  Charity  increasing  in  numbers,  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  holding 
their  own,  the  Sisters  of  the  Sacred  Heart  faithful  to  their  ancient 
ideals.  They  had  now  numerous  competitors  in  each  depart¬ 
ment,  and  had  to  work  well  to  keep  in  the  lead. 

The  newcomers  up  to  this  writing  have  not  at  all  threatened 
that  lead.  To  begin  with  the  male  communities,  the  Pious  So¬ 
ciety  of  Missions  founded  a  mission  for  the  Italians  in  Harlem; 


508  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


it  is  a  Roman  community  which  has  interested  itself  in  the  spirit¬ 
ual  welfare  of  Italians  in  foreign  countries.  The  Carmelites, 
from  Dublin,  made  a  foundation  in  territory  cut  off  from  St. 
Stephen’s  parish,  and  another  in  Tarrytown.  The  Sulpicians  ac¬ 
cepted  the  charge  of  Dunwoodie  Seminary  on  its  opening  in  1896, 
and  under  two  efficient  superiors.  Dr.  Dyer  and  Dr.  Driscoll,  have 
endeavored  to  train  the  diocesan  priesthood  for  its  work,  so  far 
with  flattering  success,  although  the  problem  of  suitable  methods 
for  the  American  boy  is  not  simple,  and  perhaps  is  still  unsolved. 
The  Assumption  Fathers  settled  in  the  city  from  France,  and 
conduct  missions  for  the  people  speaking  French.  The  Augus- 
tinians  took  charge  of  a  parish  and  opened  an  academy  on  Staten 
Island  with  the  intention  of  carrying  on  the  work  of  their  com¬ 
munity  in  the  diocese.  The  Benedictine  community  under  Abbot 
Edelbrock,  founded  the  parish  of  St.  Anselm’s  in  the  Bronx  dis¬ 
trict  of  the  city.  The  missionaries  of  St.  Charles,  from  Piacenza 
in  Italy,  made  two  foundations  for  the  Italians  in  New  York, 
Our  Lady  of  Pompeii  and  St.  Joachim’s.  The  Salesians,  from 
Turin,  opened  the  old  St.  Joseph’s  Seminary  at  Troy  as  a  college 
for  young  Italians  intending  to  study  for  the  priesthood.  The 
Fathers  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  took  charge  of  the  Church  for 
French-Canadians.  The  Marist  Brothers,  from  Quebec,  founded 
a  good  academy  in  the  parish  of  St.  Jean  Baptiste.  The  entire 
membership  of  these  new  communities  at  the  present  date  numbers 
about  one  hundred. 

The  Sisters  of  the  Divine  Compassion  are  a  community  of 
American  origin,  and  were  founded  by  a  notable  convert  of  two 
decades  back,  Mrs.  Starrs,  under  the  direction  of  Monsignor 
Preston.  Their  work  began  in  the  establishment  of  a  home  for 
working  girls  in  St.  Ann’s  parish,  and  had  such  success  from  the 
start  as  to  suggest  the  formation  of  a  community  to  make  it  more 


THE  RELIGIOUS  COMMUNITIES 


509 


permanent  and  less  liable  to  vicissitudes.  Mrs.  Starrs  became 
the  first  superior  and  held  the  position  until  her  death.  The 
community  now  has  three  establishments,  the  Holy  Family  con¬ 
vent,  a  mission  for  working  girls  in  the  city,  and  a  convent  and 
training  school  at  White  Plains.  In  the  grounds  of  this  latter 
place  is  a  memorial  chapel  in  honor  of  Monsignor  Preston,  and 
there  his  remains  have  been  placed  by  his  spiritual  daughters. 
The  Sisters  of  the  Cenacle,  a  French  community,  opened  a  house 
of  retreats  and  a  convent  on  the  shores  of  the  Hudson  at  One- 
hundred-forty-fourth  Street,  where  they  receive  women  desiring 
to  spend  a  few  days  in  meditation  and  prayer,  and  have  formed 
a  spiritual  circle  for  the  practice  of  private  devotion  and  good 
works.  The  Sisters  of  Misericorde,  from  Montreal,  founded  a 
maternity  hospital  on  East  Eighty-sixth  Street.  The  Little 
Sisters  of  the  Assumption,  from  France,  opened  two  houses  in 
New  York  City  in  1891  and  1900,  for  the  work  of  nursing  the 
sick  poor  in  their  homes.  Their  method  is  to  take  entire  charge 
of  a  poor  home  into  which  sickness  has  entered  and  crippled  its 
daily  life,  to  keep  the  members  together  by  doing  the  cooking  as 
well  as  the  nursing,  and  to  accept  no  pay  for  their  services.  The 
number  and  readiness  of  our  hospitals  and  the  growing  profession 
of  nursing  somewhat  mask  the  need  for  such  a  community;  yet 
there  is  a  great  need  for  it,  as  appears  from  acquaintance  with 
the  city  conditions. 

The  Visitation  community  established  itself  at  Riverdale,  and 
the  Benedictine  Sisters  founded  a  training-school  for  nurses  at 
Rondout.  In  behalf  of  the  immigrants  from  Europe,  the  Sisters 
of  St.  Agnes  took  charge  of  the  Leo  House,  the  Felician  Sisters 
managed  the  home  for  the  Poles  and  Lithuanians,  the  missionary 
Sisters  of  the  Sacred  Heart  looked  after  the  Italian  branch,  and 
the  Sisters  of  Providence  devoted  themselves  to  the  French.  In 


510  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


behalf  of  the  souls  in  Purgatory,  a  society  was  organized  in  France, 
known  as  the  Helpers  of  the  Holy  Souls,  with  the  direct  duty  of 
praying  and  suffering  in  behalf  of  the  souls  in  prison,  and  the 
indirect  duties  of  ministering  to  the  poor  and  the  ignorant  in  any 
way.  At  Hunt’s  Point  was  founded  a  Dominican  community 
for  the  perpetual  adoration  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  a  cloistered 
society,  which  keeps  almost  perpetual  silence,  transacts  business 
with  the  world  through  lay  sisters,  lives  on  a  scanty  vegetarian 
diet,  and  earns  an  income  for  its  own  support  by  the  making  of 
vestments  and  similar  work.  All  these  small  communities  are 
connected  with  prosperous  mother-foundations,  and  have  been 
usually  called  upon  for  the  special  work  in  which  they  are  en¬ 
gaged,  or  because  the  older  and  more  populous  communities 
were  unwilling  to  attempt  it.  They  may  never  get  beyond  the 
strength  of  the  first  foundation.  The  great  mass  of  the  charity 
and  educational  work  of  the  diocese  remains  in  the  hands  of  the 
communities  longest  on  the  ground,  and  they  can  keep  it  so  long 
as  their  spirit  and  methods  prove  them  able  to  deal  with  each  new 
situation  as  it  comes.  When  they  lose  that  power  they  slowly 
but  surely  wither  away. 


St.  Stephen’s  School 


Right  Reverend  Michael  J.  Lavelle 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 


RELATIONS  WITH  POPE  LEO  XIII 


T 


Rev.  James  Flood 


(HE  simple  and  beautiful  devotion 
of  American  Catholics  to  the  Pope 
has  already  been  described.  Far  from 
the  political  complications  of  the  old 
world,  indifferent  to  its  theological  hair¬ 
splitting,  its  perennial  factions,  which 
invent  disputes  in  order  to  keep  alive, 
and  make  their  quarrels  hereditary,  they 
saw  only  their  infallible  leader,  a  glo¬ 
rious  figure,  triumphant  over  the  recent 
revolution,  and  rooted  on  the  seven  hills 
of  Rome.  On  all  questions  touching 
him  they  were  enthusiasts.  If  he  wanted  temporal  power  he 
should  have  it,  were  it  necessary  either  to  buy  a  principality  or 
to  drive  the  Italians  out  of  Rome.  The  gloom  of  1870  and  of 
Pius  IX’s  death  was  dispelled  in  a  short  time  by  the  clever 
statemanship  of  Leo  XIII.  The  temporal  power  gone,  Prot¬ 
estants  had  supposed  that  the  Papacy  went  with  it,  except 
the  external  shell  allowed  for  decency’s  sake  to  crumble  on  the 
shore  of  time.  The  new  Pope  speedily  demonstrated  that 
the  shell  contained  a  living  spirit  of  considerable  force.  For 
some  reason  the  press  took  a  great  fancy  to  Leo  early  in  his  reign, 
and  exploited  him  like  a  pet  hero  until  he  was  laid  in  the  grave. 
Whether  this  came  by  happy  chance,  or  as  the  result  of  obscure 
European  policies  which  act  upon  the  press  as  the  wind  upon  a 

(511) 


512  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


weathercock,  blowing  it  to  any  point  of  the  compass  at  pleasure, 
cannot  be  said.  Enough  that  it  helped  to  make  this  clever  and 
even  brilliant  Pope  a  personality  in  the  general  world. 

He  had  met  Bismarck  in  the  diplomatic  field,  through  the 
famous  Centre  party  under  Windthorst,  and  had  seen  him  forced 
to  make  terms  of  peace.  His  dealings  with  the  French  Republic 
showed  a  willingness  to  accept  the  government,  regardless  of  the 
claims  of  the  pretenders,  if  it  would  but  be  fair  to  the  Church. 
He  took  the  right  side  in  the  Irish  struggle,  after  some  dan¬ 
gerous  moves,  and  won  respect  and  affection  by  making  Dr. 
Walsh  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  heeding  the  advice  of  Archbishop 
Croke,  and  taking  the  significant  hint  of  Bishop  Nulty  of  Meath. 
Scholars  acclaimed  him  when  he  opened  to  them  the  Vatican 
archives,  and  voiced  his  theory  of  historic  research  in  a  remark¬ 
able  letter.  The  English-speaking  world  fairly  cheered  him 
when  he  made  John  Henry  Newman  a  cardinal.  His  encycli¬ 
cal  on  the  conditions  of  labor  warmed  the  hearts  of  the  multi¬ 
tude  towards  him.  His  decision  on  the  question  of  the  Knights 
of  Labor  made  him  known  and  popular  in  the  United  States. 
Every  year  he  touched  some  popular  chord,  which  set  the  press 
ringing  with  his  fame,  and  his  lean  and  striking  face  in  the  public 
prints  and  the  art-stores  divided  attention  with  the  greatest  celeb¬ 
rities  of  the  day.  All  these  brilliant  incidents  shone  like  stars 
upon  the  American  Catholics,  who  neither  saw  nor  heard  the 
quarrels,  disputes,  bickerings,  and  disappointments  which  like 
mosquitos  about  the  light  swarm  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  man  who  deals  with  important  questions.  In  New  York 
he  was  idolized  throughout  his  whole  career.  The  journals 
made  so  much  of  him  that  his  fame  reflected  on  his  people,  and 
although  his  public  action  was  not  always  a  pleasure  to  New 
Yorkers  themselves  they  forgave  him  for  the  sake  of  his  glory. 


RELATIONS  WITH  POPE  LEO  XIII 


513 


Pius  IX  had  never  held  any  but  the  most  pleasant  relations 
with  the  diocese,  thanking  Dr.  Hughes  for  his  splendid  ser¬ 
vice,  making  Dr.  McCloskey  a  cardinal,  ever  smiling  and  bless¬ 
ing  his  faithful  admirers  here.  The  relations  of  Pope  Leo  with 
the  diocese  were  not  always  serene.  Occasionally  he  disciplined 
his  admirers,  or  took  the  opposite  policy  to  their  wishes.  It  is, 
therefore,  to  his  greater  credit  that  he  never  lost  their  warm  regard, 
even  when  he  sharply  differed  from  them.  He  irritated  the 
Irish  sympathizers  by  his  attitude  towards  the  Parnellite  party. 
Cardinal  Simeoni  had  small  regard  for  the  tactics  of  that  party, 
and  gradually  hemmed  them  in  with  various  restrictions.  In 
particular,  the  Land  League  of  Michael  Davitt  and  William 
O’Brien  earned  his  hostility,  and  its  ramifications  in  the  United 
States  caused  him  alarm;  and  as  it  seemed  to  favor  socialistic 
doctrines  on  land  tenure  this  fact  afforded  a  favorable  opportunity 
for  official  interference.  The  great  success  of  Parnell  had  warned 
the  English  Government  that  Irish  disaffection  had  secured  its 
first  great  leader  since  O’Connell,  and  that  great  events  were 
pending.  Its  agents  swarmed  in  Rome,  using  the  whole  force 
of  English  diplomacy  to  secure  a  papal  condemnation  of  the 
Parnell  movement;  for  the  unscrupulous  ministry  knew  that  such 
a  condemnation,  even  if  it  did  not  disrupt,  would  certainly  divide 
the  Irish  party  and  bring  its  efforts  to  nothing. 

The  affair  was  watched  from  New  York  with  great  solici¬ 
tude.  When  Michael  Davitt  on  the  stage  of  Cooper  Union,  openly 
and  bitterly  charged  Cardinal  Simeoni  with  hostility  to  the  Irish 
cause,  all  felt  that  a  momentous  crisis  had  come  in  the  relations 
of  Ireland  with  the  Holy  See.  On  this  occasion  the  Irish  bishops 
did  not  sit  down  quietly  and  allow  the  case  to  go  by  default, 
although  they  came  near  making  the  blunder.  They  spoke  out 
with  sufficient  emphasis  to  save  the  day.  Pope  Leo  took  the  affair 


514  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


out  of  the  hands  of  Cardinal  Simeoni  and  settled  it  himself. 
Some  things  were  condemned,  but  the  main  question,  the  right 
of  the  Irish  to  carry  on  a  proper  political  agitation,  was  approved, 
the  Land  League  stood,  and  the  influence  of  Dublin  Castle  in 
the  hierarchy  was  utterly  destroyed  by  the  appointment  of  a 
Nationalist  to  the  See  of  Dublin.  The  strife  and  intrigue  natur¬ 
ally  affected  the  United  States,  and  showed  itself  with  emphasis 
in  the  case  of  Dr.  McGlynn.  Cardinal  Simeoni  early  found 
fault  with  his  speeches  on  the  land  question,  which  might  never 
have  received  notice  but  for  their  connection  with  the  Irish  diffi¬ 
culties. 

Finally,  as  in  the  Irish  affair,  the  Pope  had  to  take  the  matter 
into  his  own  hands.  /  Cardinal  Rampolla  had  succeeded  as  Sec¬ 
retary  of  State,  and  Archbishop  Satolli  was  commissioned  to 
arrange  and  close  the  McGlynn  incident.  He  did  so  very  thor¬ 
oughly,  but  with  as  much  disappointment  on  one  side  as  there 
was  joy  upon  the  other.  The  restoration  of  the  excommunicated 
priest,  and  the  settlement  of  the  Irish  disputes,  relieved  the  strain 
upon  the  feelings  of  the  people  with  regard  to  Pope  Leo,  and 
restored  to  him  what  popularity  and  confidence  he  had  lost.  En¬ 
thusiasm  mounted  again  when  the  question  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor  came  up  for  discussion.  This  organization  acquired  such 
power  as  to  cause  employers  uneasiness  and  alarm.  It  was  the 
first  of  the  great  labor  unions  to  shake  the  confidence  of  capital¬ 
ists  in  their  own  power.  Its  methods  were  bitterly  discussed, 
and  as  many  Catholics  belonged  to  it,  and  at  one  time  a  Cath¬ 
olic  was  its  chief  officer,  the  timorous  began  to  besiege  the  Prop¬ 
aganda  with  complaints  and  questions  about  it.  The  Church 
authorities  asked  from  Cardinal  Gibbons  a  careful  report  of  the 
society  and  its  doings,  and  he  gave  it  with  fine  appreciation  of 
the  conditions.  Cautious  Quebec  had  already  condemned  the 


RELATIONS  WITH  POPE  LEO  XIII 


515 


Knights  through  its  Cardinal  Taschereau,  an  incident  which 
brought  about  a  delicate  situation.  The  New  York  Herald  with 
questionable  enterprise  got  by  hook  or  crook  a  copy  of  Cardinal 
Gibbons’  report  from  some  Vatican  official,  and  printed  it  entire. 
His  Eminence  of  Baltimore  took  the  opposite  view  to  that  of 
Cardinal  Taschereau.  He  advised  the  Pope  to  avoid  dealing 
with  the  question  of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  to  let  it  alone,  both 
on  the  grounds  of  expediency  and  because  the  organization  had 
so  far  acted  within  its  rights  and  the  law.  The  advice  was  fol¬ 
lowed  by  the  Pope.  Nothing  further  was  said  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor,  and  the  organization,  recovering  within  a  few  years  from 
the  attacks  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  and  other  employers, 
prospered. 

Later,  came  the  famous  encyclical  letter  of  the  Pope  on  the 
condition  of  the  working  class.  New  York  had  become  the  center 
of  unionism,  with  keen  interest  for  labor  questions.  It  had  been 
said  of  the  excommunication  of  Dr.  McGlynn  that  the  Pope  by 
that  act  had  struck  a  blow  at  the  labor  cause.  In  his  encyclical 
he  rendered  that  cause  immense  service.  For  weeks  before  the 
document  appeared  the  journals  were  advertising  its  advent,  and 
speculating  as  to  its  substance.  Expectation  looked  for  a  celes¬ 
tial  solution  of  the  problem  raised  by  modern  industrialism,  and 
the  letter  was  eagerly  read.  There  followed  a  sense  of  disap¬ 
pointment,  because  the  expected  solution  was  not  contained  in 
it,  and  the  editorial  comments  of  the  time  were  slightly  scornful. 
In  the  dream  of  getting  heavenly  light  or  the  light  of  genius  on 
the  vexed  question  the  clever  people  missed  the  essential  value 
of  the  document,  while  the  common  mind  instinctively  found 
it  at  the  first  reading.  “The  Pope  says  the  workingman  is 
oppressed,  and  that  we  ought  to  have  better  wages,”  one  worker 
said  to  another  after  getting  through  the  letter.  “I  knew  that 


516  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


before,”  said  the  other  with  enthusiasm,  “but  now  I’m  sure  of 
it.  ”  The  general  bad  condition  of  the  workers  all  over  the  world 
was  known  to  the  rulers,  but  not  one  among  them  had  ventured 
to  say  so,  to  deplore  the  common  misery,  to  rebuke  its  authors, 
and  to  suggest  improvement.  Pope  Leo  did  all  this  in  vigorous 
language,  reminding  employers  of  their  duties  towards  their 
workmen,  of  the  sanctity  of  labor,  of  its  right  to  something  more 
than  the  minimun  wage,  of  its  economic  necessity,  and  of  its 
present  wretched  condition.  His  letter  called  public  attention  to 
the  evil,  and  it  heartened  and  supported  the  advocates  of  reform, 
besides  authorizing  them  to  speak  and  act  on  the  lines  laid  down 
in  the  letter.  Pope  Leo  had  now  reached  such  a  point  of  popu¬ 
larity  with  mankind  that  his  every  utterance  caused  something 
like  a  sensation. 

Still,  the  questions  that  came  up  for  settlement  were  no  longer 
doubts  to  be  solved,  but  subjects  over  which  men  had  previously 
fought  bitterly  in  secret;  and  the  adjudication  of  the  Pope  left 
either  faction  in  sorrow.  The  Cahensly  question  was  of  that 
nature.  It  had  ardent  advocates  and  antagonists.  Documents 
of  all  kinds  were  laid  before  Cardinal  Rampolla,  but  the  most 
powerful  perhaps  was  an  album  of  clippings  from  the  leading 
journals  of  America,  expressing  the  strongest  disapprobation  of 
the  Cahensly  movement.  Archbishop  Corrigan  had  taken  a 
prominent  share  in  defeating  its  aims,  and  had  forwarded  to 
Rome  his  portion  of  fact  and  argument.  The  Pope  decided 
that  Cahensly  should  keep  out  of  American  ecclesiastical  affairs, 
that  his  memorial  on  them  should  not  be  printed  at  the  press  of 
Propaganda,  and  that  further  agitation  of  methods  should  cease. 
The  decision  caused  much  sadness  to  the  defeated  parties,  and 
lowered  the  Pope  very  much  in  their  esteem.  With  the  Ameri¬ 
canizing  party,  as  they  were  often  called,  the  Pope  became  another 


RELATIONS  WITH  POPE  LEO  XIII  ' 


517 


Daniel  come  to  judgment.  In  fact  the  happy  day  had  passed 
when  a  Papal  judgment  could  satisfy  all  parties  in  an  American 
controversy. 

The  founding  of  a  great  university  seemed  at  first  sight  a 
scheme  which  would  unite  all  classes  and  suppress  for  the  moment 
all  differences  in  order  to  secure  the  blessing.  Such  an  institution 
had  been  in  the  mind  of  Bishop  Spalding  for  many  years,  and  the 
money  donated  by  Miss  Gwendoline  Caldwell  had  made  it  possi¬ 
ble.  Pope  Leo  interested  himself  in  the  scheme,  and  the  first 
buildings  were  opened  in  1889  under  the  rectorship  of  Bishop 
Keane,  in  the  city  of  Washington.  Dissensions  began  early. 
New  York  cherished  a  feeling  that  the  university  should  have 
been  located  in  or  near  the  great  metropolis;  the  Jesuits  felt 
aggrieved  that  a  rival  to  Georgetown  should  be  set  up  so  near; 
the  advocates  of  quick  condemnation  for  such  societies  as  the 
Knights  of  Labor,  and  the  vanquished  supporters  of  Cahensly, 
refused  to  act  with  Cardinal  Gibbons;  Archbishop  Corrigan  grew 
very  cold  when  Dr.  Bouquillon  entered  the  lists  against  him  on 
compromise  schools;  and  he  supported  another  professor,  Mon¬ 
signor  Schroeder,  in  his  differences  with  the  university  authori¬ 
ties.  Pope  Leo  felt  very  much  aggrieved  towards  New  York 
about  his  university.  Its  foundation  had  been  hailed  by  the 
country  as  another  glory  for  his  reign,  but  many  of  his  bishops 
held  coldly  aloof  from  the  enterprise. 

In  giving  a  decision  on  the  question  of  the  compromise  school 
Pope  Leo  decided  against  the  contentions  of  Archbishop  Corri¬ 
gan.  The  legal  terms  of  the  Pope’s  decision  were  that  the 
custom  of  establishing  compromise  schools  is  hereby  tolerated. 
With  the  clergy,  who  favored  the  Church  school  and  no  other, 
the  regard  for  Pope  Leo  declined ;  they  maintained  that  his  decision 
flouted  their  long  and  bitter  struggle  for  the  pure  Catholic  school. 


518  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  that  they  might  as  well  give  up  the  work.  The  more  practi¬ 
cal  hailed  the  decision  as  a  valuable  addition  to  the  educational 
programme,  which  would  not  injure  the  church  school  but  aid 
it  greatly.  When  Delegate  Satolli  mapped  out  the  future  position 
of  the  Church  in  America  on  education  in  the  fall  of  1893,  in  the 
meeting  of  the  Archbishops  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Corrigan,  the 
depression  of  one  party  and  the  elation  of  the  other  increased. 
The  larger  section  of  New  York  felt  that  the  greatness  of  Pope 
Leo  XIII  had  passed  its  meridian  and  was  hastening  to  its  decline. 
At  this  writing  the  men  who  cherished  such  feelings  must  smile 
at  their  own  attitude.  The  educational  scheme  has  gone  on  as 
before,  only  with  greater  enthusiasm,  and  the  cry  for  justice, 
that  is  for  state  aid,  goes  up  as  loudly  from  the  conservatives  as 
ever  it  did  from  the  liberals. 

The  sending  of  a  Delegate  Apostolic  to  the  United  States  had 
long  been  the  desire  of  the  Popes,  who  from  time  to  time 
despatched  special  envoys  for  particular  business,  but  could  not 
get  the  Federal  Government  to  accept  a  nuncio,  or  the  American 
bishops  to  accept  a  resident  delegate.  How  the  resolution  was 
finally  taken,  and  Archbishop  Satolli  appointed  to  the  position, 
are  matters  that  belong  to  a  later  day  and  the  general  history  of 
the  Church  in  America.  All  that  is  necessary  to  mention  here 
is  the  manner  of  the  Delegate’s  reception  in  New  York.  Arch¬ 
bishop  Satolli  came  ostensibly  as  the  papal  representative  at  the 
World’s  Fair  in  Chicago,  but  it  was  known  to  many,  though 
doubted  by  all  others,  that  after  his  mission  to  Chicago  had  ended 
he  would  become  the  Delegate  Apostolic,  would  close  the  educa¬ 
tion  question,  and  would  also  settle  the  status  of  Dr.  MbGlynn. 
By  various  mischances  his  reception  in  New  York  appeared  to 
be  of  the  very  coldest  description.  The  journals  became  feverish 
in  their  reports.  Sensational  stories  of  bitter  differences  between 


RELATIONS  WITH  POPE  LEO  XIH 


519 


the  Delegate  and  the  Archbishop  were  told  in  whole  columns. 
The  single  kernel  of  fact  was  that  Archbishop  Satolli  felt  dis¬ 
pleased  with  his  reception  and  wrote  to  Pope  Leo  about  it,  who 
took  it  badly  that  his  representative  should  have  been  coldly 
treated  in  the  most  important  See  of  the  country.  The  incident 
closed  with  a  formal  reconciliation  in  1893,  and  from  that  time 
matters  went  smoothly  until  the  death  of  the  Pope. 

The  situation  did  not  improve  with  the  letter  which  His  Holi¬ 
ness  wrote  in  1899  on  the  subject  of  Americanism.  It  was 
received  with  as  much  delight  in  one  quarter  as  it  was  with  bitter¬ 
ness  in  another.  Time  alone  can  deal  with  this  letter  and  its 
theme,  as  both  are  still  too  near  and  their  details  too  delicate  for 
rude  contemptorary  historians  to  handle.  It  was  reported  on 
the  best  authority  that  the  leading  prelates  of  the  country,  replying 
to  the  letter  with  thanks  for  the  Holy  Father’s  solicitous  care  of 
the  Church  in  America,  expressed  their  surprise  at  learning  for 
the  first  time  that  such  a  heresy  as  Americanism  existed  in  this 
favored  land.  As  many  other  prelates  thanked  His  Holiness  for 
nipping  in  the  bud  a  weed  that  might  have  grown  to  frightful 
proportions,  an  imaginative  person  can  picture  for  himself  the 
Pope’s  expression  on  reading  the  letters  of  both  parties.  Some¬ 
what  later,  as  if  desiring  to  smooth  away  the  feelings  aroused  by 
his  letter,  His  Holiness  wrote  a  second,  felicitating  the  American 
hierarchy  on  their  happy  condition,  their  freedom  from  govern¬ 
ment  interference,  the  absence  of  discord  and  dissension ;  and 
as  he  did  not  allude  to  the  main  topic  of  the  former  epistle,  not 
a  few  concluded  that  the  mirage  of  a  new  heresy  had  faded. 

Upon  all  feeling  and  discussion  the  news  of  his  death 
descended  like  water  on  flame  in  the  summer  of  1903.  There 
was  but  one  voice  then  concerning  him.  A  really  great  Pontiff 
had  passed  away.  His  relations  to  the  Church  in  America  had 


520  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


been  the  most  intimate  and  effective  of  any  pope’s.  He  had 
been  the  first  to  perceive  the  meaning  of  the  Republic  in  history, 
and  to  appreciate  it;  the  first  to  feel  the  importance  of  the  Church’s 
peculiar  and  happy  condition  here,  and  to  study  how  to  help  on 
its  mission.  As  the  years  have  passed  most  of  his  measures  have 
shown  themselves  wise  and  suitable  to  our  growth,  although 
many  may  think  otherwise.  He  evidently  accepted  the  fact  of 
Democracy  as  a  coming  power,  and  recognized  the  inevitable 
social  changes,  the  uplifting  of  the  laborer,  that  must  accompany 
them.  For  American  Catholics  his  reign  was  a  special  delight, 
because  its  glory  reflected  on  them  and  immensely  strengthened 
their  place  in  the  United  States. 


Holy  Name  Church 


CHAPTER  XXXV 


THE  CATHOLIC  PRESS 

FOR  the  first  ten  years  of  Dr. 

Corrigan’s  time  the  Catholic 
press  suffered  a  severe  decline  in 
value  and  importance,  and  until  the 
beginning  of  the  next  century  its 
character  and  influence  had  a  ragged 
appearance,  although  the  book-trade 
itself  had  increased  in  bulk  if  not  in 
quality.  No  doubt  the  causes  were 
various.  The  most  evident  were  the 
wonderful  popularity  of  the  secular 
press  and  the  mediocrity  of  the 
Catholic  publishers,  among  whom  the 
good  ones  died  and  the  living  turned  to  pure  commercialism. 
The  result  of  the  former  was  increasing  indifference  of  Catho¬ 
lics  to  Catholic  journalism  and  literature.  Satisfied  and  diverted 
by  the  secular  press  the  majority  forgot  even  the  need  of  voicing 
Catholic  feeling  and  thought  in  books  and  journals;  in  fact 
when  the  matter  was  brought  before  them  they  opposed  it, 
as  they  often  opposed  Catholic  colleges  and  universities;  thinking 
them  quite  unnecessary  while  the  secular  institutions  remained 
numerous.  The  editors  of  Catholic  papers  made  a  bare  liv¬ 
ing,  and  Catholic  writers  without  encouragement,  either  took 
up  secular  work  or  produced  the  slightest  and  rarest  material. 
The  publishers,  mostly  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Barclay  Street, 
carried  on  their  business  with  as  little  sentiment  as  dealers  in 

(521) 


Dr.  Henry  Brann 


522  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


groceries,  looking  only  and  always  for  the  profitable  return.  As 
they  are  the  middlemen  between  the  writers  and  the  public,  it 
is  their  special  duty  to  find  a  public  and  their  special  glory  to  in¬ 
troduce  clever  writers.  In  the  early  days  this  duty  was  excel¬ 
lently  performed  by  such  houses  as  the  Sadliers.  Within  a  decade 
or  two  the  power  to  find  either  authors  or  public  vanished  from 
the  Catholic  publishers.  The  old  and  experienced  men  went  out 
of  business,  well  known  journals  died,  and  for  a  time  the  Catholic 
press  in  New  York  was  the  feeblest  of  any  on  the  continent. 

The  Tablet  died  some  date  after  1890,  a  journal  which  Brown- 
son  had  edited  for  a  short  time,  and  which  had  given  to  us  the 
charming  stories  and  translations  of  the  indefatigable  Mrs.  James 
Sadlier.  They  may  number  one  hundred  volumes,  and  still 
entertain  the  present  generation  as  once  they  did  their  fathers 
and  grandfathers.  The  publishing  house  of  Patrick  Valentine 
Hickey  failed  and  disappeared  in  1895,  the  death  of  its  enter¬ 
prising  founder  having  left  no  capable  manager  for  its  continu¬ 
ance.  Hickey  was  a  journalist  of  ideas  and  capacity  for  adminis¬ 
tration.  He  founded  the  Catholic  Review  in  1872,  followed  it 
up  with  the  Catholic  American,  a  dollar  weekly,  and  that,  with 
The  Illustrated  American;  he  also  established  the  Vatican  library 
of  cheap  useful  publications,  and  the  Holy  Family  magazine; 
and  he  was  making  preparations  for  the  great  ambition  of  his 
life,  a  Catholic  daily  paper,  when  he  died  in  the  flower  of  his 
maturity.  So  promising  a  plant  in  ordinary  commercial  life 
would  not  have  been  allowed  to  perish.  Its  death  proved  the 
lack  of  interest  taken  by  Catholics  even  in  a  profitable  press 
enterprise.  The  Freeman’s  Journal,  at  the  death  of  Editor 
McMaster,  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Ford  family,  and  under 
its  new  proprietors  the  paper  remained  a  model  of  decorum,  well 
printed,  edited  by  the  clever  and  capable  Father  Louis  Lambert, 


THE  CATHOLIC  PRESS 


523 


famous  for  his  refutation  and  riddling  of  the  incompetent  Inger- 
soll.  The  Irish  World  itself,  having  recovered  from  a  passing 
mania  to  set  everything  right  in  the  Church,  did  the  Irish  national 
cause  immense  service  by  its  healthful  candor  and  fiery  language. 

William  O’Brien  managed  to  keep  his  weekly,  the  Sunday 
Union,  comfortably  afloat  on  the  tide,  but  its  influence  remained 
purely  personal,  like  nearly  all  the  Catholic  journals  a  one-man 
paper.  Herman  Ridder  established  a  German  weekly  and  the 
Catholic  American  News  in  1887,  both  doing  good  service  in  their 
own  way.  For  a  time  John  Gilmary  Shea  was  the  editor  of  the 
News.  Dr.  Michael  J.  Walsh  for  many  years  struggled  manfully 
with  two  journals,  The  Sunday  Democrat  and  The  Catholic  Herald, 
but  finally  retired  from  the  vain  contest  and  the  papers  passed 
into  other  hands.  In  the  city  of  Yonkers,  Rev.  Henry  Xavier 
founded  a  weekly  journal,  called  the  Home  J ournal  and  News, 
which  was  run  on  the  usual  lines.  All  these  weeklies  employed 
but  one  or  two  paid  editors,  at  the  very  lowest  salaries;  their  aggre¬ 
gate  of  diocesan  and  general  Church  news  was  discounted  by 
the  secular  press  long  before  their  issues  appeared  on  the  news 
stands;  their  pages  were  filled  with  clippings  or  with  patent  stuff, 
both  poorly  selected,  and  their  press-work  for  the  most  part  did 
not  appeal  to  good  taste.  As  they  could  not  afford  to  pay  contrib¬ 
utors  anything,  they  had  no  share  in  the  encouragement  of 
capable  writers;  and  they  labored  on  without  change  or  improve¬ 
ment  for  years,  until  death  removed  an  editor,  or  claimed  the 
journal  itself.  Their  one  value,  not  at  all  unimportant,  was  in 
keeping  alive  the  idea  of  a  Catholic  press.  At  the  present  writ¬ 
ing  all  the  New  York  weeklies  are  at  a  standstill  as  far  as  progress 
is  concerned. 

The  monthly  reviews  showed  far  more  enterprise.  The  Cath¬ 
olic  World  kept  to  its  work,  and  with  thirty  years  to  its  credit, 


524  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


adopted  a  new  policy  in  1895,  by  becoming  a  popular  magazine, 
that  is,  instead  of  the  heavy  articles  on  the  most  important  ques¬ 
tions  of  the  time,  it  introduced  stories  and  poetry,  literary  essays 
and  book  reviews,  and  treated  serious  questions  more  with  the 
view  of  instructing  the  multitude  than  of  exhausting  the  subject. 
It  had  the  honor  of  introducing  to  the  public  many  of  the  best 
writers  of  the  day,  paid  for  their  work  what  it  was  able,  encour¬ 
aged  them  and  helped  to  place  them  in  the  literary  world.  The 
Paulists  undertook  their  own  publishing,  sent  out  in  a  short  time 
a  score  of  most  useful  missionary  books,  like  Father  Young’s 
“Protestant  and  Catholic  Countries  Compared,”  and  Father 
Conway’s  “Question  Box,”  and  produced  regularly  The  Mis¬ 
sionary,  a  review,  and  a  child’s  paper  for  the  catechism  school. 
Their  aim  being  to  distribute  the  printed  gospel  as  widely  as 
possible  rather  than  to  make  large  profits,  they  succeeded  in 
doing  some  remarkable  work.  The  Dominican  Order  founded 
a  monthly  magazine  called  The  Rosary  in  charge  of  Rev.  Father 
O’Neill,  and  the  periodical  was  having  some  success  when  it 
was  removed  from  New  York  to  the  West  and  ceased  to  be  an 
Eastern  publication.  The  Jesuit  Society  founded  a  publishing 
department  in  the  city  in  1895,  which  made  rapid  strides  in  use¬ 
fulness  and  efficiency.  They  had  been  publishing  a  magazine 
for  the  League  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  known  as  The  Messenger  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,  edited  in  very  good  local  style,  and  limited 
as  to  influence  to  its  own  society.  Out  of  this  grew  a  larger  idea, 
the  publication  of  a  review  on  the  finest  lines,  called  The  Mes¬ 
senger,  which  to-day  holds  a  high  rank  in  the  literary  world  by  its 
tone  and  its  editing.  It  is  a  high  class  review,  keeping  a  style 
that  places  it  within  reach  of  the  average  careful  reader;  dealing 
with  literature,  art,  current  world-politics  as  affecting  the  Church, 
and  general  questions,  and  providing  a  remarkably  illuminating 


THE  CATHOLIC  PRESS 


525 


review  of  the  world’s  chief  doings  in  its  chronicle.  It  promises 
to  be  a  widely  read  and  very  efficient  organ,  if  it  continues  to 
develop  on  its  present  lines. 

The  professors  of  Dunwoodie  Seminary,  under  the  direction 
of  Dr.  Driscoll,  the  president,  brought  out  in  1905  The  New 
York  Review,  a  publication  appearing  every  two  months,  devoted 
to  the  discussion  of  the  very  highest  subjects  in  Catholic  life. 
The  first  number  showed  bv  the  character  of  the  writers,  the 
choice  of  topics,  and  the  method  of  presentation,  the  scope  of 
the  field  which  the  editors  hope  to  fill.  The  Benzigers  brought 
out  a  monthly  magazine  for  the  general  public  called  by  their 
own  name,  which  supplied  light  reading  to  Catholics  at  the  popu¬ 
lar  price  of  one  dollar  a  year,  and  helped  to  bring  the  younger 
writers  before  the  public.  In  fact  the  monthly  magazines  and 
reviews  not  only  showed  spirit  and  invention,  but  did  the  diocese 
credit  by  their  form  and  value,  while  the  weeklies  shuffled  along 
without  display  of  talent  or  enterprise,  outside  the  editorial  col¬ 
umns.  The  blame  may  be  laid  on  all  parties,  although  the 
weight  of  it  must  rest  on  the  publishers.  The  Benzigers  estab¬ 
lished  a  house  of  publications  which  certainly  merited  praise  for 
its  industry,  for  the  variety  of  its  books,  for  its  careful  editing, 
and  reasonable  prices.  It  even  attempted  to  build  up  an  Ameri¬ 
can  authorship,  introducing  a  group  of  writers  to  the  public  — 
novelists,  writers  for  children,  and  essayists;  and  it  brought  out 
many  English  books  of  considerable  value.  It  was  never  able 
to  secure  general  patronage  for  these  enterprises,  and  authors 
received  hardly  enough  for  their  work  to  compensate  for  the 
single  item  of  time,  leaving  aside  artistic  merit. 

Other  publishing  houses  took  pride  in  the  work  of  securing 
and  reprinting  every  book  that  had  graced  the  shelves  of  Catho¬ 
lic  booksellers  from  the  days  of  Henry  Carey.  This  policy  had 


526  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


the  n  1  f  "  1  ^eping  alive  books  that  otherwise  would  have  per¬ 
ished;  due  had  the  editing  of  the  books  been  better  done,  Catholic 
authors  would  have  enjoyed  a  longer  existence  than  even  the 
popular  favorites  of  the  secular  field.  From  too  many  books  the 
names  of  the  authors  were  omitted,  no  effort  was  made  to  dis¬ 
cover  these  forgotten  names,  and  admirable  books,  like  the  his¬ 
torical  romances  of  William  MacCabe,  well  known  in  Dublin 
forty  years  ago,  went  forth  without  the  just  tribute  of  the  dead 
author’s  name  on  the  title-page. 

The  custom  of  giving  books  as  rewards  of  merits  in  the  church 
schools  at  the  close  of  each  year  developed  a  specialty  in  the  book 
business.  These  premium  books  were  printed  at  a  very  low  price, 
and  often  were  brought  out  with  scant  regard  to  good  taste 
or  good  book-making.  It  is  a  question  yet  whether  they  have 
not  done  harm.  However,  on  the  ground  that  good  reading  is 
better  than  none,  the  premium  book  may  be  allowed  to  pass. 
It  may  help  pave  the  way  to  better  things. 

The  famous  society  of  Catholic  publications,  for  which  Father 
Hecker  got  approval  from  Councils  and  synods,  after  some  changes 
and  vicissitudes,  passed  away  with  the  death  of  Mr.  Lawrence 
Kehoe,  its  last  proprietor,  in  1892,  although  the  business  itself 
continued  for  some  time  longer.  It  had  an  enviable  history  for 
the  character  of  its  books,  its  treatment  of  authors,  its  honorable 
methods  and  high  standards.  It  was  unfortunate  that  its  exist¬ 
ence  depended  on  the  life  of  one  man.  Its  publications  were 
divided  among  other  houses,  and  a  good  number  went  to  The 
Christian  Press  Association,  an  organization  founded  by  Rev. 
J.  L.  Meagher  for  the  purpose  of  reviving  and  reinvigorating  the 
Catholic  publishing  business,  a  purpose  which  the  association  has 
not  yet  achieved,  but  is  laboring  to  fulfil. 

The  old  house  of  the  famous  Sadliers  still  carries  on  what 


THE  CATHOLIC  PRESS 


527 


remains  of  its  former  business,  but  not  with  the  old-time  success; 
the  same  may  be  said  of  the  house  of  O’Shea,  who  in  his  time 
attempted  some  striking  enterprises;  and  all  the  successors  and 
imitators  of  these,  smaller  houses  or  of  limited  activity,  tread 
the  path  of  hopeless  routine  without  originality  and  with  little 
merit. 

With  few  exceptions  the  writers  of  the  period  were  not  eminent. 
They  deserved  eminence.  In  ordinary  circumstances,  with  good 
business  men  for  publishers  and  an  interested  public,  their  work 
would  have  won  great  success.  Some  of  them  had  the  ear  of  the 
general  public.  Father  Hecker  did  not  write  a  great  deal,  but 
his  books  and  his  short  articles  had  vogue  until  his  death  in  1888. 
Father  Hewitt  wrote  much  more,  and  had  a  good  audience.  The 
Jesuit  Thebaud  made  one  remarkable  success  in  a  work  on  the 
“Irish  in  America,”  his  stories  not  being  so  good.  Father  Louis 
Jouin  and  Father  Nicholas  Russo  were  the  authors  of  fine  col¬ 
lege  text-books  on  philosophy  and  religion.  John  Gilmary  Shea 
completed  his  history  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States 
up  to  1867,  and  brought  it  out  in  four  volumes  before  his  death 
in  1894.  It  was  more  a  chronicle  than  a  historv  in  the  modern 

V 

sense  of  history,  but  simply  invaluable  in  its  record  of  events, 
personages,  movements,  and  dates.  He  contributed  some  vol¬ 
umes  of  monographs  to  the  reviews,  which  have  not  yet  been  put 
into  accessible  form.  A  writer  on  popular  and  useful  topics 
was  Dr.  John  O’Kane  Murray,  who  published  several  books 
on  Church  history  and  clerical  personages.  A  distinguished 
convert  of  the  period,  George  Parsons  Lathrop,  was  an  intimate 
member  of  the  American  literary  set,  produced  some  novels  and 
poetry,  but  died  too  soon  after  his  conversion  to  do  Catholic  work. 
By  far  the  most  cultured  and  effective  writer  of  the  time  was 
Brother  Azarias,  a  member  of  the  teaching  community  of  the 


528  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Christian  Brothers,  who  accomplished  the  somewhat  difficult 
feat  of  presenting  Catholic  thought  and  feeling  in  a  fashion  that 
won  general  attention  and  praise. 

His  death  in  1893  at  the  early  age  of  forty-seven  was  a  real 
calamity  to  the  country  as  well  as  the  diocese.  His  philosophical 
and  pedagogical  essays  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  students 
who  had  just  set  going  the  new  educational  movement  in  this 
country.  He  brought  to  task  the  careless  pedagogical  writers  ctf 
the  time  for  their  blunders  and  their  prejudices,  and  proved  them 
unworthy  of  confidence.  His  monographs  on  the  monastic  schools 
of  the  Middle  Ages  surprised  by  their  facts  and  by  their  erudi¬ 
tion.  His  study  of  Aristotle  delighted  the  philosophers,  and 
the  literary  power  and  grace  of  his  book,  “Phases  of  Thought 
and  Criticism,”  caught  the  lovers  of  pure  literature.  Besides 
being  a  student  and  a  successful  teacher,  he  had  the  constructive 
power  which  appeared  in  such  a  book  as  his  “Philosophy  of 
Literature.”  Another  decade  would  have  made  him  easily  the 
most  eminent  writer  of  the  day,  had  his  life  been  spared  to  pub¬ 
lish  the  mass  of  material  gathered  in  twenty  years  of  study.  As 
it  is,  his  eight  volumes  remain  the  best  example  of  the  work  of 
Catholic  authors  in  that  day,  excepting  only  the  master  Brownson. 

William  Seton  wrote  cleverly  up  to  the  year  of  his  death, 
1905,  sending  out  popular  science  articles  and  creditable  novels; 
Dr.  John  A.  Mooney  wrote  fine  contributions  to  the  reviews  up 
to  his  death  in  1903;  Dr.  Reuben  Parsons  continued  the  publi¬ 
cation  of  his  studies  in  Church  history,  and  remained  almost 
our  only  historian;  Dr.  Henry  A.  Brann,  who  could  have  achieved 
eminence  as  an  author  had  he  not  preferred  the  care  of  souls, 
employed  his  leisure  in  contributing  to  the  reviews  and  wrote  a 
sympathetic  biography  of  Archbishop  Hughes;  and  Dr.  Charles 
Herbermann  edited  the  productions  of  the  Catholic  Historical 


THE  CATHOLIC  PRESS 


529 


Society  in  excellent  style.  Among  the  younger  writers  Marion 
Crawford,  the  novelist,  easily  held  the  first  place  by  his  popu¬ 
larity,  if  not  by  real  power.  He  reached  his  greatest  strength  in 
a  novel  of  Italian  life,  “  Sarracinesca,  ”  which  proved  to  be  the 
limit  of  his  artistic  development.  His  books  were  intended  for 
the  general  public,  had  no  special  Catholic  tone,  and  in  fact  gave 
offence  to  Catholic  taste  in  some  instances,  but  his  grip  on  public 
attention  continued  almost  without  abatement  for  two  decades. 

Agnes  and  Anna  Sadlier,  members  of  the  famous  family, 
kept  up  the  traditions  of  the  house  by  sending  forth  novels  and 
translations  of  interest  and  merit.  Mrs.  Elisabeth  Gilbert  Mar¬ 
tin,  in  two  or  three  novels  and  many  critical  articles,  showed  the 
possession  of  unusual  literary  powers.  Marion  Ames  Taggart, 
Marion  Brunowe  and  Christine  Faber  wrote  numerous  fine 
novels  and  tales.  By  an  incursion  into  the  romantic  history  of 
the  French  colonists  of  Quebec,  Mary  Catherine  Crowley  dis¬ 
covered  her  own  fine  qualities  as  a  story  teller,  won  popularity 
by  three  good  novels  of  the  North,  and  secured  a  safe  position  as 
a  novelist  with  an  income.  Seumas  McManus,  a  young  Irish 
writer  of  pathetic  verse  and  whimsical  folk-stories,  received  a 
hearty  welcome  from  New  York  and  its  editors  for  his  originality, 
and  wrote  several  interesting  volumes. 

The  novels  of  the  Polish  writer,  Hendryk  Sienkiewicz, 
appeared  during  this  period  and  had  an  immense  influence  for 
good  on  non-Catholic  public  opinion.  No  native  books  enjoyed 
their  popularity,  and  none  approached  their  genius.  The  greatest 
events  of  the  period,  however,  although  occurring  outside  New 
York,  were  the  publication  of  the  works  of  Brownson  in  twenty 
volumes  by  his  son,  Henry  F.  Brownson,  and  later  by  the  same 
writer  in  three  volumes  a  life  of  the  great  reviewer.  The  candor 
of  the  biography  was  refreshing  as  well  as  illuminating. 


530  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


This  chapter  might  close  profitably  with  this  great  event,  but 
that  the  maker  of  history  added  this  day  an  incident  which  may 
have  an  important  bearing  on  the  future  of  journalism  and  litera¬ 
ture  in  the  city  and  perhaps  in  the  land.  A  young  journalist  of 
reputation  succeeded  in  founding  a  Catholic  daily  paper,  an 
almost  impossible  feat  in  New  York,  owing  to  the  peculiar  con¬ 
ditions  of  metropolitan  journalism.  Men  had  dreamed  of  the 
enterprise  and  prayed  for  it,  but  the  amount  of  money  and  luck 
required  daunted  the  financiers.  By  chance  the  Daily  News 
came  into  the  market,  an  arrangement  between  its  owner,  Mr. 
Frank  Munsey  and  its  editor,  Mr.  Thomas  C.  Quinn,  placed  it 
absolutely  in  the  latter’s  control  in  the  year  1904,  and  after  a 
year’s  experimenting  it  was  pronounced  by  the  experts  a  safely 
established  and  financially  valuable  newspaper  property.  What 
in  ordinary  circumstances  would  have  cost  thousands  to  estab¬ 
lish,  if  it  could  have  been  done  at  all,  has  been  done  by  the  simple 
and  natural  process  of  planting  a  castaway  root  in  its  proper 
soil,  cultivating  it  with  care  and  judgment  for  one  year,  and 
proving  to  the  interested  that  it  would  live  and  make  money, 
and  was  therefore  worth  investment.  This  incident  occurred 
when  the  Catholic  press  had  taken  the  upward  curve  towards 
something  worth  while.  Time  only  will  tell  its  final  success,  but 
even  the  happening  of  it  is  enough  to  give  us  hope  of  the  slowly 
brightening  future. 


Holy  Eosary  Church 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 

THE  progress  of  the  Church  in 
New  York  in  the  last  quarter  of 
the  century  won  for  it  strong  friends 
and  strengthened  the  attacks  of  its 
enemies.  The  fine  character  and  pru¬ 
dent  behavior  of  the  Cardinal  and  Dr. 
Corrigan,  the  increasing  efficiency  of 
the  clergy,  the  political  and  commer¬ 
cial  power  of  the  people,  the  noble 
churches  and  charities,  the  devotion 
of  the  Catholic  body  to  the  Republic 
Augustine  Daly  and  their  opposition  to  Socialism,  their 

fidelity  to  the  faith  and  strong  fight  against  the  advancing  agnos¬ 
ticism,  the  building  up  of  a  school  system  on  the  religious  prin¬ 
ciple,  all  had  a  marked  effect  on  the  leading  men  of  the  time, 
who  were  no  longer  afraid  to  express  admiration  for  an  insti¬ 
tution  that  promised  strong  support  for  the  nation  in  the  coming 
hours  of  trial  and  storm.  A  change  had  come  over  popular 
feeling  towards  all  religion.  The  number  of  the  indifferent  had 
so  increased  as  to  give  color  to  the  theory  that  Protestantism 
as  a  religion  had  lost  its  hold  upon  the  multitude.  A  favorite 
opinion  held  one  sect  as  good  as  another,  and  the  Catholic  Church 
was  ranked  as  a  sect  and  received  the  benefit  of  the  popular 
regard. 

It  was  conceded  on  all  sides  that  the  religious  sects  should  be 

(531) 


532  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


treated  fairly  and  all  alike.  As  far  as  they  could  detach  them¬ 
selves  from  traditional  sympathies,  the  indifferentists  regarded  the 
Church  without  prejudice.  The  press  helped  along  this  feeling 
as  far  as  it  could,  bound  as  it  was  by  its  own  traditions  and  pre¬ 
judices.  The  Sun  took  the  attitude  of  fairness  towards  all  the 
sects,  and  calmly  discussed  them  and  their  critical  moments  from 
the  viewpoint  of  inexorable  logic.  Catholics  patronized  it  because 
it  treated  their  religion  with  fairness,  though  not  always  with 
patience.  Horace  Greeley  in  The  Tribune  adopted  a  like  atti¬ 
tude.  George  Jones  of  The  Times  felt  like  doing  the  same,  but 
some  demon  within  kept  him  anchored  to  the  old  spiteful  unfair¬ 
ness.  It  became  possible  to  elect  a  Catholic  mayor  in  New 
York,  and  to  put  Catholic  candidates  on  the  state  tickets,  with¬ 
out  worrying  about  their  faith.  At  the  last,  political  leaders 
found  it  advantageous  to  seek  out  Catholics  for  certain  cam¬ 
paigns.  The  party  of  municipal  reform  in  New  York  City  had 
to  adopt  that  method  or  lose  all  opportunity.  Catholics  had 
invaded  every  department  of  life  and  had  secured  eminence  and 
power;  in  the  most  exclusive  society,  in  all  the  professions,  in  every 
form  of  business,  in  politics,  in  the  army  and  navy,  in  journalism 
and  letters,  in  art  and  education,  they  had  to  be  reckoned  with. 

Between  the  change  in  popular  feeling  and  the  rise  of  the  laity 
the  way  for  the  convert  became  a  little  smoother.  The  humbler 
sort  had  no  difficulty  at  all,  suffered  no  evil  consequences,  since 
Protestantism  had  deserted  them,  and,  therefore,  entered  the 
Church  in  considerable  numbers,  particularly  after  the  apostolate 
to  non-Catholics  had  been  fairly  established  by  Father  Elliott. 
The  more  eminent  people  had  usually  rather  a  difficult  time  giving 
up  their  former  faith  and  getting  into  the  one  fold.  Very  often 
the  change  of  faith  meant  the  surrender  of  old  friends  and  dear 
associations.  Protestant  sentiment  could  endure  almost  any 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


533 


religion  except  the  Catholic,  which  implied  alliance  with  a  very 
low  social  element  and  the  adoption  of  idolatry.  The  more 
intelligent  the  people  the  more  detestable  and  impossible  for  them 
was  Rome;  even  Buddhism  and  Spiritism  were  not  so  hateful, 
but  only  absurd.  Thus  deeply  had  the  Protestant  tradition  of 
false  witness  against  the  Church  bitten  into  their  souls.  The 
moment  that  tradition  fell  under  suspicion  in  a  single  mind  it 
went  to  pieces,  not  always  because  the  contention  of  Protestantism 
itself  appeared  unsound,  but  rather  because  it  had  been  caught 
slandering  and  lying  about  the  ancient  Church.  The  Protestant 
writers  of  the  first  centuries  had  invented  a  monster  which  they 
called  the  Church  of  Rome.  Honest  inquiry  proved  that  this 
monster  was  a  chimaera,  that  the  Church  of  Rome  was  not  that 
thing,  that  at  the  worst  the  old  Church  was  a  remarkable  human 
institution  with  all  the  faults  and  all  the  merits  of  the  organization 
which  had  provoked  the  unwilling  admiration  of  Macaulay  and 
had  outlived  the  strongest  dynasties. 

An  examination  of  the  typical  conversions  for  the  last  century 
shows  that  the  first  step  in  each  case  was  the  discovery  that  the 
Protestant  chimaera  was  not  identical  with  the  Church  of  Rome. 
The  Methodist  minister,  who  undertook  to  convert  the  Sulpicians 
of  Montreal  at  one  stroke,  learned  this  with  astonishment,  and, 
from  that  starting-point,  arrived  at  the  Church.  The  famous 
Dodge  family  of  Syracuse  were  deeply  grieved  when  the  first 
Catholic  Church  appeared  in  their  vicinity,  as  if  the  idol  Moloch 
had  built  a  terrible  shrine  among  them.  They  were  astonished 
to  learn  from  personal  investigation  that  the  Church  of  Rome 
was  not  the  Protestant  chimaera,  had  a  history  of  which  its 
members  were  not  ashamed,  and  could  prove  its  right  to  the 
title  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  Rev.  James  Kent  Stone,  after¬ 
wards  Father  Fidelis,  smiled  in  pity  at  the  general  invitation  of 


534  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Pius  IX  to  all  Christians  to  unite  with  the  Church  in  submission 
and  prayer,  during  the  holding  of  the  Vatican  Council.  What 
right  had  any  pope  to  issue  such  an  invitation  ?  He  was  induced 
to  examine  the  reasons  which  impelled  the  Pope  to  this  act,  with 
the  result  that  Mr.  Stone  became  a  Catholic  and  a  priest,  and 
wrote  his  remarkable  and  fascinating  book,  “The  Invitation 
Heeded.” 

Conversions  became  so  numerous  in  the  latter  part  of  the  cen¬ 
tury  that  they  ceased  to  excite  attention.  They  came  from  the 
most  refined  and  most  intellectual  circles.  Mrs.  George  Ripley 
was  one  of  the  earliest,  wife  of  the  famous  writer  and  daughter 
of  Francis  Dana,  of  Boston,  herself  a  writer  of  no  mean  powers. 
Laura  Keene,  the  actress,  in  whose  lap  the  head  of  President 
Lincoln  rested  after  his  mournful  assassination,  became  a  con¬ 
vert  not  long  after.  Mrs.  Georgie  Drew  Barrymore,  a  member 
of  the  notable  Drew  family  and  a  capable  actress,  entered  the 
fold  in  1880  or  thereabouts,  and  brought  up  her  three  children 
in  the  faith.  Not  long  ago  another  member  of  the  same  family, 
a  young  daughter  of  John  Drew,  followed  her  aunt’s  example. 
George  Parsons  Lathrop  and  his  wife  entered  the  Church  together. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  American  literary  guild,  which  centres 
in  the  leading  magazines,  and  produced  before  his  early  death 
some  very  good  work;  she  was  the  daughter  of  Hawthorne,  the 
novelist,  and  a  clever  writer,  and  afterwards  took  up  the  work 
of  ministering  to  the  poor  suffering  from  cancer. 

While  this  conversion  of  people,  intimately  connected  with 
the  modern  development  of  New  England  thought  and  culture, 
made  the  world  gasp  a  bit,  the  incident  caused  no  profound  dis¬ 
turbance  as  it  might  have  done  half  a  century  earlier.  George 
Bliss,  who  entered  the  fold  in  1885,  was  one  of  the  cleverest  law¬ 
yers  in  New  York,  an  aggressive  and  able  man  besides.  His 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


535 


wife  had  become  a  Catholic  some  years  previous,  and  to  her 
prayers  and  influence  he  owed  his  first  resolution  to  examine  into 
religion  in  general  and  the  Catholic  faith  in  particular.  William 
Hildreth  Field  and  his  wife  became  Catholics  about  the  same 
time.  The  well-known  recorder,  Smyth,  accepted  the  faith  on 
his  death-bed.  All  these  men  were  successful  lawyers,  hard- 
headed  men  of  affairs,  with  whom  sentiment  had  not  much  to  do, 
and  their  acceptance  of  the  despised  faith  caused  much  wonder¬ 
ment. 

Exclusive  society  was  not  proof  against  the  spread  of  Cath¬ 
olicity,  although  its  barriers  were  raised  very  high  against  all 
religions,  but  two  or  three.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Stanton 
Floyd-Jones,  Delancey  Kane,  Mrs.  Arnold,  Sara  Van  Alen,  and 
others  of  the  old  families,  found  their  way  to  the  faith  at  dif¬ 
ferent  times  ;  and  by  marriage  or  other  relationships  Catholics 
gradually  found  their  way  into  the  most  sacred  intimacies  of  this 
exclusive  social  life,  not  without  protest  from  the  leaders,  but 
in  spite  of  it.  The  leaders  could  hardly  be  mollified  by  the  fact 
that  the  admired  aristocracy  of  Britain  was  largely  Catholic,  and 
that  of  the  Latin  countries  almost  entirely  so.  The  man  who 
did  so  much  for  Arctic  exploration,  Isaac  Hayes,  became  a  Cath¬ 
olic  in  his  latter  years;  the  noted  portrait-painter,  George  Healy, 
and  his  wife,  entered  the  fold  together;  a  well-known  scientist  of 
the  period  was  Sanderson  Smith,  also  a  convert;  and  a  noted 
artist  and  decorator  of  the  time,  William  Laurel  Harris,  not  only 
became  a  Catholic,  but  set  himself,  in  the  ancient  spirit,  the  task 
of  reviving  Christian  art,  and  worked  at  the  decoration  of  the 
Paulist  Church  as  the  old  painters  of  the  Middle  Ages  worked 
at  the  adornment  of  their  grand  cathedrals. 

No  conversions  had  such  effect  as  the  conversions  of  minis¬ 
ters.  They  were  not  many,  although  with  the  more  cultivated 


536  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


clergy  the  Protestant  chimaera  had  long  been  shattered,  and  the 
claims  of  Rome  were  considered  as  worthy  of  a  hearing.  Among 
the  Episcopalians  the  High  Church  party  had  made  such  progress 
and  attained  such  power  as  to  make  the  Roman  argument  agree¬ 
able  and  plausible  to  numbers  of  Protestants;  and  its  practices 
were  so  like  the  Catholic  that  the  leaders  could  argue  against 
entrance  into  the  Roman  fold  on  the  ground  that  theirs  had  the 
whole  body  of  Catholic  doctrine  and  practice  with  unimportant 
exceptions. 

Rev.  Jesse  Albert  Locke  was  an  assistant  minister  in  Grace 
Church,  and  resigned  a  promising  career  for  a  humble  place  as 
a  Catholic.  He  married  afterwards  into  the  famous  Hecker 
family,  and  established  at  Hackensack,  New  Jersey,  the  New¬ 
man  School  for  boys  and  young  men;  probably  the  only  insti¬ 
tution  of  its  kind  in  the  country  for  Catholic  boys,  in  which  they 
are  prepared  for  college  or  business  amid  the  surroundings  of  a 
refined  home;  and  so  good  a  work  that  it  should  be  multiplied 
in  every  section  of  the  country.  For  many  years  Dr.  Da  Costa 
was  a  prominent  minister  of  the  Episcopalian  sect  in  New  York, 
a  notable  contributor  to  the  magazines  on  ecclesiastical  subjects, 
a  close  observer  of  events,  and  very  outspoken  in  his  criticism  of 
them.  When  he  finally  entered  the  Church,  his  conversion  came 
as  a  surprise  to  his  friends.  In  resigning  from  a  comfortable 
parish,  he  had  to  earn  his  living  by  lecturing  and  writing.  His 
wife  died  shortly  after,  and  although  old  age  had  come,  with 
poverty  and  infirm  health,  his  energy  and  determination  secured 
him  the  honor  of  ordination  to  the  priesthood  in  Rome,  1903. 
He  had  the  blessed  privilege  of  saying  Mass  for  many  months, 
and  died  at  St.  Vincent’s  hospital  after  his  return  to  America, 
somewhat  over  three  score  and  ten  in  1904. 

The  Jesuit,  Dominican,  Franciscan,  and  Paulist  communities 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


537 


had  among  their  members  a  number  of  former  ministers,  ardent 
and  austere  souls  who  sought  the  cloister  from  love  of  the  morti¬ 
fied  life.  The  latest  convert  from  the  Protestant  ministry  was 
Rev.  Edward  McPherson,  who  passed  through  Dunwoodie  Semi¬ 
nary  and  became  a  priest  of  the  diocese  in  1905. 

Alongside  this  favorable  disposition  towards  the  Church  lived 
the  ancient  hatred  and  enmity,  whose  professors  remained  proof 
against  the  modern  learning,  which  through  historians  and  other 
impartial  investigators  had  destroyed  the  chimaera.  Maitland’s 
“Dark  Ages”  and  Von  Ranke’s  “History  of  the  Popes,”  with 
Macaulay’s  review  had  no  more  effect  on  them  than  Pastor  and 
Janssens  in  our  own  times.  The  increasing  fairness  of  the  multi¬ 
tude  merely  filled  them  with  regret  for  the  good  old  times,  the 
popular  dislike  of  open  persecution  against  any  creed  forced  them 
to  conceal  persecution  under  various  disguises.  These  were  the 
people  who  used  the  common  school  and  the  state  charities  against 
the  Catholic  faith,  all  the  while  crying  out  that  the  schools  and 
the  charities  should  be  unsectarian,  that  is,  dominated  by  no 
sect,  but  inspired  by  abstract  Lutheranism.  They  organized  at 
one  period  (between  1880  and  1900)  the  American  Protective 
Association,  for  the  secret  persecution  of  Catholics  everywhere. 
Its  vogue  perished  more  quickly  than  its  predecessors  (Native- 
Americanism  in  1844  and  Knownothingism  in  1855),  because  the 
people  as  well  as  the  political  leaders  were  determined  that  such 
methods  should  never  again  be  tolerated  in  this  country. 

The  scheme  by  which  the  old  Protestantism  carried  on  its 
campaign  against  the  Church  was  founded  in  a  show  of  patriot¬ 
ism.  American  institutions  were  threatened  by  the  increase  and 
the  trickery  of  the  subjects  of  the  Pope;  the  comic  papers  carica¬ 
tured  Delegate  Satolli  climbing  the  dome  of  the  Washington 
Capitol  to  replace  the  American  by  the  papal  flag.  It  was  neces- 


538  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


sary  therefore  for  the  loyal,  of  every  creed,  even  the  Catholic, 
to  fight  the  insidious  schemes  of  a  degraded  priesthood  against 
the  liberties  and  the  institutions  of  the  Republic.  In  New  York 
the  machine  for  carrying  on  this  hypocritical  defence  of  our  liber¬ 
ties  was  known  as  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  which  earned  a  quan¬ 
tity  of  its  own  peculiar  glory  by  a  long  and  bitter  support  of 
proselytizing  in  the  State  institutions,  and  by  the  printing  of  in¬ 
decent  slanders  against  the  Church  and  its  members  in  the  city 
of  New  York. 

The  Freedom  of  Worship  bill,  introduced  by  the  Catholic 
leaders  into  the  legislature,  to  secure  for  the  Catholic  inmates 
of  State  institutions  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion,  the  right 
to  receive  their  priests,  the  use  of  the  sacraments,  the  proper 
instruction  in  their  religion,  and  the  right  to  reject  the  ministra¬ 
tions  of  the  sects,  was  fought  by  the  Alliance  with  every  weapon, 
honorable  and  dishonorable,  lie  and  truth,  slander  and  praise, 
that  the  best  legal  talent  and  the  most  unscrupulous  bigotry 
could  devise  for  ten  years.  It  required  extraordinary  labor  to 
get  the  bill  passed  in  1887. 

The  most  curious  example  of  this  bigotry  occurred  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  building  of  a  chapel  for  the  use  of  the  officers,  cadets, 
soldiers,  and  employees  of  the  military  academy  at  West  Point. 
For  many  years,  the  Catholics  at  this  post  held  divine  service  in 
an  old  building  badly  situated  in  a  hollow  among  the  outbuild¬ 
ings.  By  the  courtesy  of  the  superintendent  a  plot  was  offered 
to  the  pastor,  Monsignor  O’Keefe,  at  one  corner  of  the  parade 
ground.  When  he  sought  the  proper  authorization  from  the  War 
Department,  the  President  was  deluged  with  letters  of  protest 
from  the  bigots  of  the  country,  who  were  quite  willing  to  benefit 
by  the  services  of  Catholic  soldiers,  but  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
erection  of  a  chapel  for  them.  In  reply  to  the  protests,  President 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


539 


McKinley  affected  to  discover  that  the  War  Department  had  not 
the  power  to  grant  the  authorization,  which  made  it  necessary 
for  Monsignor  O’Keefe  to  secure  from  Congress  an  enabling 
act.  Every  possible  effort  was  employed  to  prevent  the  passage 
of  the  act.  The  bigots  were  finally  defeated,  the  President  signed 
the  act,  Monsignor  O’Keefe  collected  from  generous  Catholics 
the  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  required  for  the  chapel,  and  a 
remarkably  handsome  structure  of  stone,  in  modern  style,  was 
erected  just  above  the  parade  ground,  on  a  plot  which  commands 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  Hudson  at  the  north  entrance  to  the 
Highlands. 

The  next  invention  adopted  by  the  supporters  of  persecution 
Was  known  as  the  National  League  for  the  Protection  of  Ameri¬ 
can  Institutions;  its  most  burning  mouthpiece  was  Rev.  James 
M.  King,  a  minister  of  the  cast-iron  type,  for  whom  modern 
history  did  not  exist,  who  raged  about  the  state  like  John  Knox 
in  Scotland,  furious  against  the  Catholic  faith.  The  league 
demonstrated  to  its  own  satisfaction  that  the  Catholic  bishops 
sought  the  destruction  of  the  common  school  system,  and  also 
the  union  of  church  and  state.  It  went  about  the  various  State 
legislatures  to  get  appropriate  legislation  passed,  and  in  particu¬ 
lar  prepared  amendments  for  constitutional  conventions,  which 
would  shut  off  state  money  from  Catholic  institutions  of  any 
kind.  Its  greatest  struggle  and  heaviest  defeat  occurred  in  the 
New  York  constitutional  convention  of  1894.  It  proposed  an 
amendment  aimed  at  the  charity  system  of  New  York  City,  which 
paid  private  institutions  for  public  service  at  a  low  rate,  thereby 
encouraging  private  effort  and  saving  the  city  considerable  expense. 
The  elections  of  1892  had  proved  unexpectedly  disastrous  to  the 
Democrats,  and  had  returned  as  delegates  to  the  constitutional 
convention  a  Republican  majority,  responsive  to  the  schemes  of 


540  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Rev.  James  M.  King,  and  supposedly  indifferent  and  hostile  to 
the  rights  and  privileges  of  Catholic  citizens.  The  National 
League  for  the  Protection  of  American  Institutions  prepared 
itself  for  a  tremendous  onslaught  on  the  New  York  charity  system, 
and  an  easy  victory  over  the  papal  forces.  Rev.  Mr.  King  led 
the  array;  he  was  opposed  by  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  convert, 
George  Bliss;  the  committee  had  for  chairman  a  notable  lawyer 
of  Jewish  blood,  Edward  Lauterbach;  the  convention  was  pre¬ 
sided  over  by  the  most  eminent  lawyer  of  his  day,  Joseph  Choate, 
coming  candidate  for  the  governorship,  and  afterwards  minister 
to  England. 

Rev.  Mr.  King  made  the  opening  address  in  behalf  of  the 
amendment  suggested,  formulated  and  supported  by  the  society, 
which  defended  the  public  school  and  the  public  treasury  from 
the  assaults  of  the  Catholic  Church;  he  was  seconded  by  an  able 
lawyer  and  litterateur,  William  Allen  Butler,  by  Bishop  Doane 
of  Albany,  and  a  notable  anti-Catholic  of  the  period,  Gen¬ 
eral  Thomas  J.  Morgan.  The  defence  presented  their  case,  as 
to  its  merits,  through  Myers  Stern  and  George  Bliss,  as  to  its 
essence  and  sentiment,  through  Frederic  Coudert.  President 
Choate  attended  the  speech  of  Coudert,  which  was  a  model  of 
elegant  humor  and  courteous  analysis.  The  three  lawyers  made 
clear  to  the  committee  the  animus  of  Rev.  Mr.  King  and  his 
associates:  the  desire  to  injure  the  Catholic  Church  on  the  plea 
of  defending  national  institutions  which  needed  no  defence. 
The  most  telling  speech  of  the  hearing,  however,  came  from  the 
Hon.  Elbridge  Gerry,  of  New  York,  executive  head  of  the  Society 
for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  and  advocate  of  the 
charity  system  of  the  metropolis.  He  appeared  in  defence  of  that 
system,  which  the  proposed  amendment  would  destroy.  With 
an  English  as  perfect  and  an  irony  as  delicate  as  Mr.  Coudert 


FRIENDS  AND  ENEMIES 


541 


himself  could  command,  Mr.  Gerry  presented  a  complete  and 
flawless  argument  against  the  amendment  on  unusual  lines. 
Mr.  Gerry’s  speech  had  a  tremendous  effect. 

When  the  final  vote  of  the  convention  was  taken  the  King 
amendment  was  rejected,  and  the  National  League  had  to  con¬ 
sole  itself  with  an  amendment  that  shut  off  state  aid  to  church 
schools  for  twenty  years.  With  that  achievement  the  League 
withdrew  from  public  notice.  For  the  past  ten  years  there  has 
been  comparative  peace,  during  which  time  the  historians  have 
been  hard  at  work  smashing  the  chimaera  and  baring  to  the 
public  eye  the  noble  outlines  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  past  ages. 


Immaculate  Conception,  Yonkers 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  MCGLYNN 

The  case  of  Dr.  Edward  McGlynn 
opened  in  1886,  one  year  after 
Dr.  Corrigan  had  entered  upon  his 
duties  of  administration.  To  regard 
him  through  the  colored  glasses  of  the 
McGlynn  affair,  which  affected  in  one 
way  or  another  every  year  of  his  ad¬ 
ministration,  would  give  a  false  view 
of  him;  and  to  study  Dr.  McGlynn 
himself  merely  through  the  various 
phases  of  his  tragic  difference  with 
superiors  from  1886  to  1892  would  give 
a  false  view  of  that  remarkable  priest. 
Prelate  and  priest  were  good  men,  true  priests,  of  more  than 
average  ability,  representative,  sympathetic,  and  emotional. 

It  was  most  strange  that  any  set  of  circumstances  should  have 
placed  these  two  noble  priests  in  grave  opposition,  particularly 
when  neither  sought  nor  desired  the  contest.  The  initiative  came 
from  outside,  from  the  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda,  Cardinal 
Simeoni. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1882,  Dr.  Corrigan  received  from 
His  Eminence  a  letter  pointing  out  the  fact  that  in  his  speeches 
on  behalf  of  the  Irish  Land  League,  Dr.  McGlynn  had  defended 
propositions  quite  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church.  The 
letter  was  laid  before  Cardinal  McCloskey,  Dr.  McGlynn  was 

(542) 


Monsignor  O’Keefe 


1 


St.  Joseph’s  Seminary,  Dunwoodie 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  McGLYNN  543 


called  upon  to  explain  the  character  and  quality  of  his  utterances, 
he  satisfied  his  superior  that  it  was  not  his  intention  either  to 
preach  heresy  or  “to  cut  up  Manhattan  Island  into  little  bits  and 
give  each  of  us  a  bit,”  as  the  Cardinal  happily  phrased  it,  and 
he  promised  to  abstain  from  further  Land  League  speeches.  A 
report  was  made  out  accordingly  and  sent  to  Cardinal  Simeoni. 
In  September  came  a  second  letter  from  the  Prefect  of  Propa¬ 
ganda,  complaining  that  Dr.  McGlynn  had  not  kept  his  word 
about  making  speeches,  and  recommending  that  he  be  suspended 
at  once,  unless  the  Cardinal  thought  differently.  Dr.  McGlynn 
had  to  make  another  explanation  as  to  his  speeches,  to  the  effect 
that  he  had  kept  his  word  by  keeping  free  of  the  Land  League, 
but  had  spoken  in  behalf  of  the  starving  people  of  one  section  of 
Ireland,  and  had  severely  arraigned  the  English  government  for 
its  cruel  tyrannies.  He  promised  a  second  time  to  steer  clear 
of  offence. 

In  October,  a  third  letter  was  received  from  the  Prefect  of 
Propaganda,  expressing  his  joy  at  the  vero  proper  spirit  shown 
by  Dr.  McGlynn,  and  insinuating  the  propriety  of  a  reparation 
as  public  as  the  offence  which  provoked  it. 

The  fourth  letter  of  Cardinal  Simeoni  arrived  in  May,  1883, 
in  which  it  was  pointed  out  that  the  priest  had  not  kept  his  word 
as  to  maintaining  silence  on  public  questions,  and  the  Cardinal 
was  requested  to  put  an  end  to  his  speeches  at  once.  Evidently 
complaints  from  many  sources  were  finding  their  way  to  Rome. 
At  the  kindly  request  of  Cardinal  McCloskey,  for  whom  every¬ 
one  had  the  greatest  respect,  Dr.  McGlynn  promised  to  be  silent 
for  a  time,  in  order  to  please  the  exacting  Prefect.  In  the  fall  of 
that  year,  Archbishop  Corrigan  visited  Rome  as  the  representative 
of  the  Cardinal,  and  got  a  most  comprehensive  instruction  from 
Cardinal  Simeoni  with  regard  to  Dr.  McGlynn. 


544  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Nothing  further  occurred  until  the  campaign  of  Mr.  Henry 
George  for  mayor  of  New  York,  in  the  year  1886.  Dr.  McGlynn 
had  taken  meanwhile  a  deep  interest  in  the  land  theory  of  Henry 
George,  in  his  proposed  single  tax,  and  in  the  uplifting  of  the 
laborer. 

Dr.  McGlynn  believed  with  many  others  that  the  election  of 
Henry  George  to  the  mayoralty  of  New  York  would  be  a  step 
forward  in  the  labor  movement,  and  he  gave  the  aid  of  his  great 
influence  to  elect  him,  spoke  at  meetings  in  his  behalf,  and  on 
the  day  of  the  election  rode  about  with  him  from  poll  to  poll 
encouraging  the  voters.  Mr.  George  was  not  elected.  The  share 
taken  in  the  election  by  Dr.  McGlynn  displeased  the  clergy,  as  the 
tradition  of  keeping  out  of  politics  is  as  strong  in  America  as  is 
the  opposite  tradition  in  France,  where  bishops  and  priests  are  often 
found  in  the  legislative  chambers.  It  shocked  Archbishop  Corrigan. 

In  August  of  1886  he  wrote  to  Dr.  McGlynn  reminding  him 
of  his  former  promises  to  keep  out  of  public  movements  and 
meetings,  and  requesting  him  to  make  no  more  speeches  in  the 
George  campaign.  Dr.  McGlynn  did  not  reply,  but  went  on 
with  his  speeches,  and  on  September  29,  received  a  positive  pro¬ 
hibition  to  attend  a  public  meeting  in  Chickering  Hall  the  follow¬ 
ing  Friday;  to  which  Dr.  McGlynn  replied  that  having  agreed  to 
speak  he  must  attend  the  meeting,  but  would  thenceforward 
observe  the  wish  of  the  Archbishop  to  hold  aloof.  He  was  there¬ 
upon  suspended  for  two  weeks  by  the  Archbishop,  on  October  2, 
although  the  suspension  remained  a  secret  from  the  public;  and 
in  that  mournful  condition  Dr.  McGlynn  attended  the  famous 
Fifth  Synod,  whose  fine  decrees  have  been  set  forth  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

The  first  suspension  was  followed  by  a  second  in  November, 
to  continue  until  the  first  of  January,  a  suspension  provoked  by 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  McGLYNN  545 


a  speech  that  criticised  the  Pope  and  repeated  the  now  familiar 
doctrine  of  the  injustice  of  private  ownership  of  land. 

Cardinal  Simeoni,  on  December  4,  summoned  Dr.  McGlynn 
to  Rome,  and  on  the  20th  the  priest  replied  by  declining  the 
invitation.  On  January  5,  of  the  year  1887,  the  Archbishop 
suspended  him  for  the  third  time,  the  suspension  to  remain  in 
force  until  further  notice  from  Cardinal  Simeoni,  and  notified 
him  at  the  same  time  that  he  was  hereby  removed  from  the  charge 
of  St.  Stephen’s  parish,  which  was  placed  in  the  care  of  Rev. 
Arthur  Donnelly.  Dr.  McGlynn  withdrew  from  the  parish 
residence  and  went  to  live  with  relatives  in  Harlem.  On  Janu¬ 
ary  16,  he  received  the  second  summons  to  Rome,  but  made 
no  answer;  the  next  day  he  received  a  summons  from  the  Pope, 
but  did  not  reply;  on  the  21st  Cardinal  Jacob  ini,  the  papal 
secretary  of  state,  announced  that  the  Pope  had  taken  the  case 
into  his  own  hands,  and  a  few  days  later,  Archbishop  Corrigan 
announced  to  the  press  that  the  affair  was  out  of  his  hands 
and  belonged  henceforth  to  the  Holy  Father.  This  is  the 
bare  outline  of  events  leading  up  to  the  excommunication  which 
followed  some  months  later.  Meanwhile,  the  friends  of  Dr. 
McGlynn  had  flocked  to  his  side  with  advice  and  persuasion, 
urging  him  to  go  to  Rome  in  obedience  to  the  Pope,  to  keep  within 
the  requirements  of  the  law,  and  not  imperil  his  case  by  illegal 
action.  Deeply  hurt,  he  resisted  the  importunities  and  advice  of 
his  friends.  He  declined  to  go  to  Rome  as  a  suspended  and 
disgraced  priest,  an  attitude  which  he  held  until  excommunication 
cut  him  off  from  the  Church.  The  blow  fell  on  July  3,  the  decree 
appearing  in  the  public  prints  shortly  afterward. 

Clamor  wore  itself  out  after  a  time.  The  theories  of  Henry 
George  remained  theories,  and,  despite  his  brilliant  books,  were 
never  translated  into  social  or  political  action.  It  did  not  take 


546  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


long  for  the  labor  leaders  and  the  Irish  sympathizers  to  learn 
that  Archbishop  Corrigan  had  no  feeling  whatever  against  them, 
and  that  agitation  must  have  some  truer  ground  to  continue. 
It  died  out.  Pope  Leo  had  done  both  the  Irish  cause  and  the 
labor  movement  full  justice,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned.  Dr. 
McGlynn  soon  stood  alone,  faithful  to  his  original  platform;  that 
he  had  never  taught  heresy,  and  never  intended  to  teach  it. 

A  new  personage  now  appeared  on  the  scene,  Archbishop 
Satolli,  former  professor  in  Rome,  intimate  friend  of  Leo  XIII, 
and  coming  factor  in  the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  America. 
Cardinal  Simeoni  was  dead,  and  Cardinal  Rampolla  had  suc¬ 
ceeded  Cardinal  Jacobini  as  secretary  of  state  to  the  Pope. 
The  friends  of  Dr.  McGlynn,  despite  his  unyielding  attitude, 
had  never  ceased  to  importune  Rome  in  his  behalf.  Through 
the  kindly  and  large-hearted  Bishop  Moore  of  St.  Augustine, 
many  appeals  were  made  in  legal  form  for  the  re-opening  of  the 
case,  and  the  officials  were  kept  well  provided  with  the  original 
documents. 

Archbishop  Satolli  was  sent  to  the  United  States  as  the  special 
delegate  of  the  Pope  to  the  opening  of  the  Washington  University 
and  the  centenary  of  the  American  hierarchy  in  1889.  The 
strong  representations  of  Rev.  C.  G.  O’Keefe,  pastor  of  West 
Point  and  a  supporter  of  Archbishop  Satolli,  had  increased  the  in-\ 
terest  of  the  papal  envoy  in  the  case  of  Dr.  McGlynn,  whom  he  made 
an  effort  to  see  during  his  visit,  but  failed  through  the  absence 
of  the  priest  on  a  lecturing  tour.  In  the  year  1892,  Archbishop 
Satolli  was  appointed  permanent  delegate  to  the  Church  in  the 
United  States,  and  as  a  result  of  the  efforts  of  Dr.  McGlynn ’s 
friends,  of  his  own  personal  interest,  and  of  the  tireless  endea¬ 
vors  of  Father  O’Keefe,  he  came  with  instructions  to  end  the  Mc¬ 
Glynn  controversy  with  all  possible  speed.  Dr.  McGlynn  was 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  McGLYNN  547 


promptly  invited  to  appear  before  the  Delegate  with  a  statement 
of  his  position.  He  made  the  statement  through  his  legal  rep¬ 
resentative,  Dr.  Burtsell,  the  pastor  of  Rondout.  The  main 
question  touched  upon  his  opinions  about  the  tenure  of  land, 
in  which  he  had  been  charged  with  heresy.  The  minor  question 
concerned  his  obedience  to  the  Pope  and  his  Archbishop.  As 
to  the  former,  Dr.  McGlynn  made  a  statement  in  writing,  which 
was  submitted  to  four  professors  of  the  University  and  pro¬ 
nounced  free  from  taint  of  error;  as  to  the  latter,  Dr.  McGlynn 
expressed  perfect  willingness  to  go  to  Rome  and  to  obey  the 
lawful  authority  of  the  Archbishop  as  soon  as  justice  was  done 
him.  The  statement  of  his  land  doctrines,  submitted  to  the  Dele¬ 
gate,  is  interesting  as  the  essence  of  the  teaching  over  which  so 
much  controversy  had  raged. 


STATEMENT  OF  DR.  MCGLYNN 

“All  men  are  endowed  by  the  law  of  nature  with  the  right 
to  life  and  to  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  therefore  with  the 
right  to  exert  their  energies  upon  those  natural  bounties  without 
which  labor  or  life  is  impossible.  God  has  granted  those  nat¬ 
ural  bounties,  that  is  to  say,  the  earth,  to  mankind  in  general, 
so  that  no  part  of  it  has  been  assigned  to  anyone  in  particular, 
and  so  that  the  limits  of  private  possession  have  been  left  to  be 
fixed  by  man’s  own  industry  and  the  laws  of  individual  peoples. 

“But  it  is  a  necessary  part  of  the  liberty  and  dignity  of  man 
that  man  should  own  himself,  always,  of  course,  with  perfect 
subjection  to  the  moral  law.  Therefore,  beside  the  common 
right  to  natural  bounties,  there  must  be  by  the  law  of  nature 
private  property  and  dominion  in  the  fruits  of  industry,  or  in  what 
is  produced  by  labor  out  of  those  natural  bounties  to  which  the 


548  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


individual  may  have  legitimate  access,  that  is,  so  far  as  he  does 
not  infringe  the  equal  rights  of  others  or  the  common  rights. 

“It  is  a  chief  function  of  civil  government  to  maintain  equally 
sacred  these  two  natural  rights.  It  is  lawful  and  it  is  for  the  best 
interests  of  the  individual  and  of  the  community  and  necessary 
for  civilization,  that  there  should  be  a  division  as  to  the  use  and  an 
undisturbed,  permanent,  exclusive  private  possession  of  portions 
of  the  natural  bounties,  or  of  the  land;  in  fact,  such  exclusive 
possession  is  necessary  to  the  ownership,  use,  and  enjoyment  by 
the  individual  of  the  fruits  and  products  of  his  industry. 

“But  the  organized  community,  through  civil  government, 
must  always  maintain  the  dominion  over  those  natural  bounties, 
as  distinct  from  the  products  of  private  industry  and  from  that 
private  possession  of  the  land  which  is  necessary  for  their  enjoy¬ 
ment.  The  maintenance  of  this  dominion  over  the  natural 
bounties  is  a  primary  function  and  duty  of  the  organized  commun¬ 
ity,  in  order  to  maintain  the  equal  right  of  all  men  to  labor  for 
their  living  and  for  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  therefore  their 
equal  right  of  access  directly  or  indirectly  to  natural  bounties. 

“The  assertion  of  this  dominion  by  civil  government  is  espe¬ 
cially  necessary,  because,  with  the  very  beginning  of  civil  govern¬ 
ment  and  with  the  growth  of  civilization,  there  comes  to  the  nat¬ 
ural  bounties,  or  the  land,  a  peculiar  and  an  increasing  value 
distinct  from  and  irrespective  of  the  products  of  private  industry 
existing  therein.  This  value  is  not  produced  by  the  industry  of 
the  private  possessor  or  proprietor,  but  is  produced  by  the  exis¬ 
tence  of  the  community  and  grows  with  the  growth  and  the  civil¬ 
ization  of  the  community.  It  is,  therefore,  called  the  unearned 
increment. 

“It  is  this  unearned  increment  that  in  cities  gives  to  lands 
without  any  improvements  so  great  a  value.  This  value  repre- 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  McGLYNN  549 

sents  and  measures  the  advantages  and  opportunities  produced 
by  the  community,  and  men,  when  not  permitted  to  acquire  the 
absolute  dominion  over  such  lands,  will  willingly  pay  the  value 
of  this  unearned  increment  in  the  form  of  rents,  just  as  men, 
when  not  permitted  to  own  other  men,  will  willingly  pay  wages 
for  desired  services. 

“No  sooner  does  the  organized  community,  or  state,  arise, 
than  it  needs  revenues.  This  need  for  revenues  is  small  at  first 
while  population  is  sparse,  industry  rude,  and  the  functions  of 
the  state  few  and  simple;  but  with  growth  of  population  and 
advance  of  civilization  the  functions  of  the  state  increase  and 
larger  and  larger  revenues  are  needed.  God  is  the  author  of 
society,  and  has  pre-ordained  civilization.  The  increasing  need 
for  public  revenues  with  social  advance  being  a  natural  God- 
ordained  need,  there  must  be  a  right  way  of  raising  them,  some 
way  that  we  can  truly  say  is  the  way  intended  by  God. 

“  It  is  clear  that  the  right  way  of  raising  public  revenues  must 
accord  with  the  moral  law  or  the  law  of  justice.  It  must  not 
conflict  with  individual  rights,  it  must  find  its  means  in  common 
rights  and  common  duties.  By  a  beautiful  providence,  that  may 
be  truly  called  Divine,  since  it  is  founded  upon  the  nature  of 
things  and  the  nature  of  man,  of  which  God  is  the  creator,  a 
fund,  constantly  increasing  with  the  capacities  and  needs  of 
society,  is  produced  by  the  very  growth  of  society  itself,  namely, 
the  rental  value  of  the  natural  bounties  of  which  society  retains 
dominion. 

“The  justice  and  the  duty  of  appropriating  this  fund  to  public 
uses  is  apparent,  in  that  it  takes  nothing  from  the  private  prop¬ 
erty  of  individuals,  except  what  they  will  pay  willingly  as  an 
equivalent  for  a  value  produced  by  the  community,  and  which 
they  are  permitted  to  enjoy.  The  fund  thus  created  is  clearly 


550  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


by  the  law  of  justice  a  public  fund,  not  merely  because  the  value 
is  a  growth  that  comes  to  the  natural  bounties  which  God  gave 
to  the  community  in  the  beginning,  but  also,  and  much  more, 
because  it  is  a  value  produced  by  the  community  itself,  so  that 
this  rental  belongs  to  the  community  by  that  best  of  titles,  namely, 
producing,  making,  or  creating. 

“To  permit  any  portion  of  this  public  property  to  go  into  pri¬ 
vate  pockets,  without  a  perfect  equivalent  being  paid  into  the 
public  treasury,  would  be  an  injustice  to  the  whole  community. 
Therefore,  the  whole  rental  fund  should  be  appropriated  to  com¬ 
mon  or  public  uses.  This  rental  tax  will  make  compulsory  the 
adequate  utilization  of  natural  bounties  exactly  in  proportion  to 
the  growth  of  the  community  and  of  civilization,  and  will  thus 
compel  the  possessors  to  employ  labor,  the  demand  for  which 
will  enable  the  laborer  to  obtain  perfectly  just  wages. 

“The  rental  tax  fund  growing  by  a  natural  law  proportionately 
with  the  growth  of  civilization  will  thus  be  sufficient  for  public 
needs  and  capacities,  and  therefore  all  taxes  upon  industry  and 
the  products  of  industry  may  and  should  be  abolished.  While 
the  tax  on  land  values  promotes  industry,  and  therefore 
increases  private  wealth,  taxes  upon  industry  act  like  a  fine  or  a 
punishment  inflicted  upon  industry;  they  impede  and  restrain, 
and  finally  strangle  it.  In  the  desired  condition  of  things  land 
would  be  left  in  the  private  possession  of  individuals,  with  full 
liberty  on  their  part  to  give,  sell,  or  bequeath  it,  while  the  state 
would  levy  on  it  for  public  uses  a  tax  that  should  equal  the  annual 
value  of  the  land  itself  irrespective  of  the  use  made  of  it  or  the 
improvements  on  it. 

“The  only  utility  of  private  ownership  and  dominion  of  land, 
as  distinguished  from  possession,  is  the  evil  utility  of  giving  to 
the  owners  the  power  to  reap  where  they  have  not  sown,  to  take 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  McGLYNN  551 


the  products  of  the  labor  of  others  without  giving  them  an  equi¬ 
valent  —  the  power  to  impoverish  and  practically  to  reduce  to 
a  species  of  slavery  the  masses  of  men,  who  are  compelled  to 
pay  to  private  owners  the  greater  part  of  what  they  produce  for 
permission  to  live  and  to  labor  in  this  world,  when  they  would 
work  upon  the  natural  bounties  for  their  own  account,  and  the 
power,  when  men  work  for  wages,  to  compel  them  to  compete 
against  one  another  for  the  opportunity  to  labor,  and  to  compel 
them  to  consent  to  labor  for  the  lowest  possible  wages  —  wages 
that  are  by  no  means  the  equivalent  of  the  new  value  created 
by  the  work  of  the  laborer,  but  are  barely  sufficient  to  maintain 
the  laborer  in  a  miserable  existence,  and  even  the  power  to  deny 
to  the  laborer  the  opportunity  to  labor  at  all. 

“This  is  an  injustice  against  the  equal  right  of  all  men  to 
life  and  to  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  a  right  based  upon  the 
brotherhood  of  man  which  is  derived  from  the  fatherhood  of 
God.  This  is  the  injustice  that  we  would  abolish  in  order  to 
abolish  involuntary  poverty.  That  the  appropriation  of  the 
rental  value  of  land  to  public  uses  in  the  form  of  a  tax  would 
abolish  the  injustice  which  has  just  been  described,  and  thus 
abolish  involuntary  poverty,  is  clear:  since  in  such  case  no  one 
would  hold  lands  except  for  use,  and  the  masses  of  men,  having 
free  access  to  unoccupied  lands,  would  be  able  to  exert  their  labor 
directly  upon  natural  bounties  and  to  enjoy  the  full  fruits  and 
products  of  their  labors,  beginning  to  pay  a  portion  of  the  fruits 
of  their  industry  to  the  public  treasury  only  when,  with  the  growth 
of  the  community  and  the  extension  to  them  of  the  benefits  of 
civilization,  there  would  come  to  their  lands  a  rental  value  dis¬ 
tinct  from  the  products  of  their  industry,  which  value  they  would 
willingly  pay,  as  the  exact  equivalent  of  the  new  advantages 
coming  to  them  from  the  community. 


552  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


“And  again  in  such  case  men  would  not  be  compelled  to 
work  for  employers  for  wages  less  than  absolutely  just  wages, 
namely,  the  equivalent  of  the  new  value  created  by  their  labor; 
since  men  surely  would  not  consent  to  work  for  unjust  wages 
when  they  could  obtain  perfectly  just  wages  by  working  for  them¬ 
selves;  and,  finally,  since,  when  what  belongs  to  the  community 
shall  have  been  given  to  the  community,  the  only  valuable  things 
that  men  shall  own  as  private  property  will  be  those  things  that 
have  been  produced  by  private  industry,  the  boundless  desires  and 
capacities  of  civilized  human  nature  for  good  things  will  always 
create  a  demand  for  these  good  things,  namely,  the  products  of 
labor  —  a  demand  always  greater  than  the  supply,  and  therefore 
for  the  labor  that  produces  these  good  things  there  will  always  be 
a  demand  greater  than  the  supply,  and  the  laborer  will  be  able 
to  command  perfectly  just  wages  —  which  are  a  perfect  equiva¬ 
lent  in  the  product  of  some  other  person’s  labor  for  the  new 
value  which  his  own  labor  produces.” 

The  document  having  been  approved,  Dr.  McGlynn  visited 
Archbishop  Satolli,  in  Washington,  was  absolved  from  all  cen¬ 
sures,  and  made  his  public  reparation  in  the  form  of  a  letter, 
addressed  to  the  Delegate. 

“Monsignor:  I  am  very  happy  to  learn  that  it  has  been 
judged  that  there  is  nothing  contrary  to  Catholic  doctrine  in  the 
doctrine  taught  by  me,  as  it  was  explained  by  me  in  the  exposi¬ 
tion  of  the  same  which  I  sent  to  Your  Grace,  and  I  rejoice  that 
you  are  prepared  to  remove  the  ecclesiastical  censures.  I  assure 
you  that  I  have  never  said,  and  would  never  say  consciously, 
a  word  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church  and  of  the  Apos¬ 
tolic  See,  to  which  teachings  and  notably  to  those  contained  in 
the  Encyclical  Rerum  Novarum  I  give,  and  have  ever  given, 
a  full  adhesion.  And  if  any  word  whatsoever  may  have  escaped 


THE  CASE  OF  DR.  EDWARD  McGLYNN 


553 


me,  which  might  not  seem  entirely  conformable  to  those  teachings, 
I  would  like  to  recall  it  or  to  interpret  it  in  a  sense  conformable 
to  them.  I  have  not  consciously  failed  in  the  respect  due  to  the 
authority  of  the  Holy  See.  But  whatsoever  word  may  have 
escaped  me  not  conformable  to  the  respect  due  to  it,  I  should  be 
the  first  to  regret  it  and  to  recall  it.  As  to  the  journey  to  Rome, 
I  will  make  it  in  three  or  four  months,  if  the  matter  be  not  other¬ 
wise  determined  by  the  Holy  Father.  I  am  Your  Grace’s  very 
obedient  servant, 

Edward  McGlynn. 

December  23,  1892. 

Thus  ended  the  famous  case,  as  far  as  the  principal  person¬ 
ages  were  concerned.  Dr.  McGlynn  appeared  in  public  before 
his  admiring  friends  and  supporters  at  Cooper  Union,  January 
15,  1893,  and  received  their  congratulations;  he  paid  a  visit  to 
Rome  in  May,  and  was  honorably  welcomed  by  the  Pope;  and 
for  two  years  he  said  Mass  in  private  in  Brooklyn,  and  supported 
himself  by  his  lectures. 

After  a  formal  and  pleasant  interview  with  Archbishop  Corri¬ 
gan  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Mary’s  in  Newburgh,  with  a 
promise  of  return  to  the  city  as  soon  as  a  vacancy  occurred. 
For  five  years  Dr.  McGlynn  administered  the  parish  in  Newburgh, 
under  the  new  conditions,  but  to  his  old  place  in  the  affections  and 
regard  of  the  clergy  and  public  he  never  returned.  The  contro¬ 
versy,  personal,  doctrinal,  social,  never  really  died  out,  and,  per¬ 
haps,  could  not  while  the  two  leaders  in  it  lived.  The  Delegate 
found  his  restoration  of  Dr.  McGlynn  as  unpopular  in  one  section 
as  it  was  popular  in  another;  and  his  whole  service  in  the  United 
States  was  more  or  less  affected  by  it.  Death  alone  could  really 
settle  the  trouble,  and  at  least  bring  silence,  and  death  at  last 
intervened.  Dr.  McGlynn  died  in  Newburgh,  on  January  7, 


554  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


1900,  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age,  a  fine  constitution  giving 
way  twenty  years  ahead  of  its  time  under  the  strain  of  emotion, 
grief,  and  struggle.  It  was  a  strange,  painful,  trying  scene,  his 
funeral  service  in  St.  Stephen’s,  a  few  days  later,  when  the  last 
words  of  eulogy  were  uttered  by  Monsignor  Mooney,  and  the 
last  absolution  was  said  by  Archbishop  Corrigan.  All  the  actors 
in  the  recent  drama  were  present,  clergy  and  laity,  theorists  and 
journalists,  politicians  and  parishioners,  friends  and  enemies, 
critics  and  admirers.  The  promising  career  had  ended  in  a 
kind  of  darkness  and  confusion.  It  had  never  attained  its  full 
development  and  had  missed  its  rightful  glory.  And  two  years 
later  the  life  of  the  Archbishop  ended  just  as,  to  use  the  sad  words 
of  Bishop  McQuaid,  the  world  was  weaving  its  crown  of  glory 
for  his  head. 


St.  Angela’s  College 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN 

THE  last  years  of  Dr.  Corrigan 
were  passed  in  comfort,  in  free¬ 
dom  from  dissensions,  and  from  press 
criticism.  He  succeeded  in  building 
his  seminary,  saw  the  new  orphan 
asylums  in  use,  and  had  the  joy  of 
beginning  the  work  of  the  cathedral 
apse.  His  episcopal  jubilee  in  1898  was 
celebrated  in  a  fashion  that  made 
clear  the  respect  in  which  he  was  held 
by  all  classes.  The  diocese  had  pro¬ 
vided  for  the  seminary  over  seven 
Dr.  Herberman  hundred  thousand  dollars;  the  expense 

was  covered  by  a  final  offering  of  one 
quarter  of  a  million,  which  in  the  form  of  a  check  the  auxiliary 
bishop,  Monsignor  Farley,  presented  on  the  occasion  of  the  jubi¬ 
lee.  At  the  public  meeting,  held  in  the  evening  at  the  Metro¬ 
politan  Opera  House,  the  most  distinguished  public  men  of  the 
time  made  speeches  of  congratulation.  Hon.  Elbridge  Gerry,  in 
his  speech,  declared  that  “ever  mindful  of  the  public  good,  his 
efforts  have  resulted  in  the  enlarging  and  increasing  of  the  pros¬ 
perity  of  what  is  now  known  as  the  city  of  New  York.”  A  still 
more  significant  speech  was  made  by  Hon.  Eliliu  Root,  at  present 
the  Federal  Secretary  of  State,  who  after  describing  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  as  “manly,  dignified,  and  courteous  in  his  social  inter- 

555') 


556  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


course,  contributing  to  the  grace  and  charm  of  life,”  went  on  to 
say:  “he  has  been  a  great  conservative  force,  maintaining  the 
social  order  of  civilization  against  all  socialistic  and  anarchistic 
attacks,  maintaining  the  rights  of  property,  on  which  our  homes 
and  the  rewards  of  honest  toil,  and  the  hopes  of  honorable  ambition, 
all  depend.”  These  sentences  were  not  oratorical  flatteries,  but 
represented  the  feeling  of  the  political  and  financial  leaders  of  the 
city,  who  had  been  much  disturbed  by  the  George  movement 
when  supported  by  such  a  personality  as  Dr.  McGlynn.  Their 
gratitude  expressed  itself  freely  and  generously  on  many  occasions. 

The  work  of  the  diocese  went  forward  actively.  His  charm¬ 
ing  qualities,  so  long  clouded  by  the  storms  of  controversy,  be¬ 
came  better  known  to  his  people  as  he  mingled  with  them  more 
freely,  while  the  results  of  his  really  fine  administration  began  to 
show  with  increasing  splendor.  Before  he  could  reap  the  har¬ 
vest  of  his  labors  death  intervened.  A  slight  injury  received  in 
the  winter  of  1902,  the  steady  routine  of  the  diocese,  and  a  cold 
taken  in  the  spring,  brought  on  an  attack  of  pneumonia,  from 
which  his  weakened  constitution  had  not  the  power  to  rally. 
He  died  on  May  5,  1902,  in  the  sixty-third  year  of  his  age.  The 
funeral  ceremonies  were  held  on  the  following  Friday,  amid  a 
concourse  of  prelates,  priests,  and  people  such  as  had  never  be¬ 
fore  been  seen  in  and  around  the  cathedral.  Archbishop  Ryan 
preached  the  sermon,  and  Cardinal  Gibbons  offered  up  the  Mass; 
the  absolutions  were  pronounced  by  the  Cardinal,  and  the  Bishops 
of  Rochester,  Syracuse,  Ogdensburg,  and  Albany.  The  remains 
were  deposited  in  the  crypt  under  the  cathedral.  The  public 
utterances  upon  his  character  and  his  career  were  most  striking, 
and  as  an  illustration  of  one  side  of  the  popular  temper  towards 
the  Church,  are  exceedingly  valuable.  Two  are  given  here,  one  from 
the  pen  of  Elisha  Jay  Edwards,  LL.D.,  in  the  Philadelphia  Press , 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  557 


and  the  other  in  the  New  York  American  by  Julian  Hawthorne, 
son  of  the  novelist,  and  brother  of  Sister  Mary  Alphonsa  Lathrop. 

Dr.  Edwards  wrote:  “No  photograph  or  other  counterfeit  of 
Archbishop  Corrigan’s  features  was  satisfactory  or  more  than  a 
remote  resemblance  to  the  face  of  this  distinguished  prelate. 
There  was  some  quality  of  feature,  of  expression,  some  character¬ 
istic  by  which  the  Archbishop  was  peculiarly  identified,  especially 
to  those  who  knew  him  best,  which  the  camera  could  not  catch 
and  imprison,  nor  did  any  engraver  ever  master  it  by  his  art. 
The  portrait-painter  found  it  not  easy  to  reproduce  in  oil  the 
Archbishop’s  features,  while  the  characteristic  expression,  a  singu¬ 
lar  combination  of  force  and  gentleness,  seriousness  and  kindly 
interest,  the  very  quality  which  Matthew  Arnold  praised  when 
he  spoke  of  ‘sweetness  and  light,’  did  not  communicate  itself 
to  the  painter’s  brush.  And  this  difficulty  of  transferring  more 
than  a  remote  likeness  of  the  Archbishop’s  features  to  canvas, 
or  to  print,  was  also  experienced  by  those  who  attempted  an  analy¬ 
sis  of  one  of  the  most  interesting,  in  many  respects  brilliant,  pro¬ 
foundly  intellectual,  and  yet  peculiarly  practical  and  forceful 
characters  of  his  time,  and  one  that  has  been  of  much  influence, 
and  in  a  certain  direction,  of  preeminent  authority  and  value  in 
New  York  and,  to  some  extent,  in  the  entire  country.  For  Arch¬ 
bishop  Corrigan’s  personality,  not  meaning  by  that  his  physical 
appearance,  but  the  aggregate  of  intellect  and  temperament,  was 
one  which  baffled  analysis  at  times,  or,  at  least,  eluded  analysis, 
excepting  for  those  capable  of  study  of  that  kind,  and  having 
abundant  opportunity  through  an  acquaintance  and  friendship 
maintained  for  many  years  with  the  Archbishop,  which  made 
possible  a  revelation  of  his  many-sided  character. 

“A  peculiar  distinction  of  his  was  that  of  seeming  to  be  young 
always  and  at  the  same  time  seeming  always  to  be  mature,  and 


558  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


he  was,  in  fact,  apparently  thus  inconsistent.  He  was  young  in 
the  freshness  and  vigor  of  his  sentiments,  in  the  innocence  and 
purity  of  all  his  emotions,  and  in  his  appreciation  of  and  fond¬ 
ness  for  the  natural  world  around  him,  a  disposition  which  he 
always  kept  thoroughly  in  check  so  that  it  would  not  master  him. 
There  was  a  sort  of  child-like  innocence,  simplicity,  and  lack 
of  selt-consciousness  which  contributed  strongly  to  the  impression 
of  permanent  youthfulness  of  nature  which  was  always  obtained  by 
by  those  who  saw  much  of  the  Archbishop.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  was  singularly  mature,  almost  precocious,  even  in  his 
boyhood,  not  so  much  in  respect  to  books  or  proficiency  in  school 
studies  as  in  accuracy  of  judgment,  a  capacity  to  look  upon  life 
and  its  responsibilities,  and  the  relations  of  men  and  women  to 
the  life  about  them  as  well  as  to  the  moral  or  higher  life,  that 
indicated  almost  precocity,  sometimes  his  instructors  thought, 
profundity  of  thought.  And  this  quality  remained  with  the 
Archbishop  throughout  his  life,  so  that  friends,  especially  those 
who  met  him  in  the  social  life  that  he  graced  and  in  the  compan¬ 
ionship  where  he  felt  free  from  restraint,  were  sometimes  amazed 
by  listening  to  brief  but  very  lucid,  clear,  and  often  profound 
comments  upon  the  greater  affairs  of  this  world,  the  intellectual 
character  of  men  who  had  achieved,  or  were  achieving,  while  at 
the  same  time  these  comments  were  made  in  an  almost  diffident 
way,  but  not  exactly  diffident,  either,  for  the  Archbishop  was 
utterly  without  self-consciousness,  but  in  a  modest,  suggestive 
way,  without  any  self-assertion,  almost  as  an  inquiry.  The 
freshness  and  purity  of  his  outlook  and  understanding  were 
tempered,  too,  by  a  keen  sense  of  humor  that  might  easily  have 
enabled  the  Archbishop  to  acquire  the  reputation  of  a  wit;  for 
he  had  a  gift  of  concise  utterance  and  for  the  likening  of  unlike 
things  in  an  unexpected  manner,  which  is  the  soul  of  wit.  But 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  559 


he  knew  that  wit  is  a  dangerous  gift,  and  in  a  prelate  of  his  stand¬ 
ing,  even  although  scrupulously  guarded,  might  degenerate  into 
something  undignified,  something  that  would  occasion  a  wound. 
Therefore,  while  his  personal  conversation  was  often  rich  in 
gentle  and  kindly  humorous  suggestion,  he  never  allowed  it  to 
culminate  into  witty  expression. 

“He  came  to  the  great  See,  of  which  New  York  is  the  centre, 
and  which  includes  the  Bahama  Islands  as  well  as  much  of  the 
territory  contiguous  to  New  York,  when  he  was  still  a  very  young 
man  in  years,  but  mature  in  experience,  in  intellectual  qualities, 
and  singularly,  unexpectedly  mature  in  gifts  of  executive  direc¬ 
tion,  gifts  that  brought  to  him  tributes  of  admiration  from  the 
men  of  greater  affairs  in  New  York,  with  whom  he  was  often 
brought  into  contact  in  connection  with  the  business  administra¬ 
tion  of  his  diocese.  He  died,  too,  before  he  became  venerable 
in  years,  for  he  was  still  a  young  man,  as  the  age  of  youth  in  the 
greater  business  or  professional  affairs,  is  esteemed.  But  he 
had  achieved,  in  the  seventeen  years  of  his  administration  as 
Archbishop,  results  that  could  not  have  been  reasonably  expected 
in  an  administration  twice  the  length  of  his  own.  His  executive 
capacity  and  prformanece  may  be  traced  to  a  remarkable  power 
of  concentration,  a  gift  for  economizing  and  systematizing  time, 
an  ability  to  direct  those  who  carry  out  details,  and  to  himself 
administer  to  the  utmost  detail.  Had  his  vocation  been  that  of 
business,  he  could  easily  have  taken  place  among  the  organizers 
of  great  forces  and  among  the  directors  of  them,  but  it  would  not 
have  been  through  any  impressive  physical  demonstration.  He 
did  not  have  the  fiery  personal  and  physical  characteristics  of  one 
of  his  distinguished  predecessors,  John  Hughes,  who  was  a  mighty 
force  in  this  city,  and  in  the  nation,  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  War, 
who  could  be  splendid  in  worthy  passion  and  righteous  indigna- 


560  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


tion,  and  at  times,  too,  when  those  qualities  were  necessary.  Arch¬ 
bishop  Corrigan’s  achievement  as  a  business  leader  would  have 
been  compassed  partly  by  sheer  intellectual  force,  partly  by 
consummate  tact,  of  which  no  man  of  New  York  was  ever  greater 
master,  and  partly  by  a  singular  power  of  gentle  persuasion, 
which  would,  had  he  been  a  politician,  have  made  him  a  masterly 
one. 

“He  had  mastered  whatever  weaknesses  of  his  nature  there 
ever  were,  so  that  he  was  completely  dominated  by  spiritual 
force  and  impulse.  And  when  an  example  was  sought  in  this 
city  so  that  the  power  of  spiritual  communion,  of  piety,  of  relig¬ 
ious,  as  distinguished  from  moral,  influence  to  dominate  the  whole 
character,  intellectual  and  temperamental,  of  a  man,  Archbishop 
Corrigan  received  that  tribute.  Others  have  been  of  saintly  char¬ 
acter,  as  was  his  immediate  predecessor,  Cardinal  McCloskey, 
but  Archbishop  Corrigan  was  of  that  quality,  while  at  the  same 
time  maintaining  often  physically  excessive  and  always  exacting 
administrative  and  executive  relations  with  the  diocese,  which, 
upon  its  business  side,  had  become  not  only  a  great  financial,  but 
a  great  cooperative  community.  As  a  financier  —  and  he  had 
much  of  that  employment,  especially  in  connection  with  St.  Pat¬ 
rick’s  Cathedral,  and  with  the  endowments  of  the  many  charities 
and  philanthropies  which  were  under  his  direction,  as  well  as 
the  finances  of  the  Church,  which,  in  the  aggregate,  were  very 
large  —  his  judgment  was  always  keen  and  seemed  to  act  intui¬ 
tively.  .  .  .  And  yet  this  was  only  one  side  of  this  brilliantly 
complicated  character.  He  was  able  to  turn,  after  a  day’s  labor 
at  his  residence,  not  to  lighter,  but  to  different  things,  and  to 
become  on  the  instant  the  profound  scholar,  the  real  academician. 
The  breadth  of  his  cultivation  and  the  cosmopolitan  character 
of  his  learning  may  be  illustrated  by  an  incident  that  occurred 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  561 


last  summer.  He  was  taking  his  recreation  one  afternoon  by  a 
stroll  along  Fifth  Avenue.  If  he  was  a  conspicuous  figure  on  the 
avenue,  it  was  not  by  reason  of  any  posing  or  affectation.  He 
was  conventional  in  his  dress,  and  to  a  stranger  would  have 
seemed  no  more  than  any  one  of  the  well,  though  modestly,  dressed 
pedestrians;  but  he  was  so  well-known,  he  was  of  such  high 
authority,  his  influence  had  been  of  such  preeminent  value,  especi¬ 
ally  at  one  time  of  dangerous  crisis,  that  he  was  a  conspicuous 
object,  more  conspicuous  than  he  himself  ever  realized.  He  met 
a  humble  parishioner,  a  Frenchman,  teacher  in  a  private  school, 
a  man  of  learning  and  of  fine  character,  but  who  had  always 
struggled  for  a  livelihood,  and  the  Archbishop  invited  the  teacher 
to  walk  back  with  him  saying,  ‘I  fear  I  am  a  little  rusty  in  my 
French,  and,  if  it  will  be  agreeable  to  you,  I  should  like  to  talk 
with  you  in  French  as  we  stroll.’  There  began  then  a  conversa¬ 
tion  in  French,  with  only  the  slightest  foreign  accent,  upon  French 
literature,  especially  the  classics,  and  the  tendency,  demoralizing, 
as  he  thought,  of  the  later  literature  of  France. 

“Had  the  Archbishop  been  a  professor  of  letters  he  could 
not  have  discussed  these  questions  with  greater  clearness  or  pro¬ 
founder  understanding  than  he  did  on  this  occasion.  And  if, 
upon  that  same  stroll,  he  had  met  an  Italian  friend  he  would  have 
been  able  to  converse  with  him  as  easily  in  the  Italian  language. 
Of  course,  he  read  Hebrew  and  Greek,  and  was  proficient  in 
Latin  —  proficient  both  as  a  reader  of  the  language  and  in  ability 
to  converse  in  it.  He  had,  too,  as  one  of  his  recreations,  singular 
amusement  for  the  relaxing  of  a  busy  brain,  a  fondness  for  mathe¬ 
matics,  and  especially  for  astronomy.  In  addition  to  these  culti¬ 
vated  tastes,  the  Archbishop  was  a  keen  observer  of  the  greater 
influences  that  are  making  American  life  what  it  is.  In  no  sense 
a  partisan,  he  recognized  the  need  of  parties  in  a  Republican- 


562  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Democratic  form  of  government,  and  he  was  an  eminently  just 
judge,  both  of  principles  and  of  policies.  He  was  fond  of  saying 
that  upon  the  fundamental  principles  which  are  the  basis  of  our 
form  of  government  the  two  parties  do  not  disagree,  but  only 
upon  the  policy,  the  expedient  way  of  putting  those  principles 
into  force.  He  did  discover  a  tendency  to  depart  from  moral 
principles  in  some  of  our  more  recent  political  agitations,  and  it 
gave  him  great  pain,  but  he  had  firm  faith  in  the  overwhelming 
moral  sense  of  the  American  people,  and  in  their  capacity  on  the 
whole,  and  in  the  long  run,  to  act  wisely,  justly,  and  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  moral  law.” 

This  description  of  the  Archbishop,  while  exaggerated  in 
some  points,  gave  a  fair  description  of  his  powers  and  qualities, 
as  they  impressed  his  immediate  associates.  The  description  of 
the  funeral  function  by  Mr.  Julian  Hawthorne  easily  takes  rank 
with  the  permanent  things  in  literature,  but  its  present  signifi¬ 
cance,  for  which  it  is  used  here,  is  the  temper  displayed  by  the 
modern  American  journalist  towards  a  Catholic  prelate.  It  was 
always  more  or  less  the  temper  of  the  profession,  on  funeral  occa¬ 
sions,  but  never  before  so  vividly  expressed. 

“Dead  on  his  bier  lay  the  body  of  Michael  Corrigan,  a  good 
man,  a  zealous  priest,  an  archbishop  of  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  had  risen  from  humble  beginnings,  and  in  little  more  than 
sixty  years  he  had  become  eminent  in  ecclesiastical  authority 
and  honor.  But  he  now  lay  dead  on  his  high  bier,  rigid  and  pale, 
with  his  hands,  between  which  was  a  small  crucifix,  crossed  on 
his  bosom.  That,  after  all  had  been  said  and  done,  was  the 
central  and  most  impressive  feature  of  the  splendid  ceremony 
performed  yesterday.  The  dead  man  was  clad  in  his  priestly 
vestments,  the  princely  purple,  the  high  white  mitre;  the  bier 
was  richly  draped;  around  it  burned  a  score  of  candles,  shining 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  563 


in  the  transparent  gloom  of  the  great  cathedral  like  flowers  of 
soft  fire.  He  lay  before  the  holy  altar;  upward  on  every  side 
rose  the  silent  rows  of  fluted  columns,  draped  to  the  carved  capi¬ 
tals  in  black;  higher  still  was  the  delicate  tracery  of  the  airy  gal¬ 
leries;  above  them  the  broad  windows  glowing  with  sacred  scenes 
pictured  in  stained  glass;  and,  surmounting  all,  the  fretted  design 
of  the  arched  roof.  The  altar  was  rich  with  harmonious  decora¬ 
tion  and  twinkling  with  lights;  and  all  the  elaborate  splendor 
was  strikingly  contrasted  with  the  cold  pallor  of  the  enclosing 
walls  of  the  edifice.  Near  by  stood  the  pulpit,  graceful  and 
imposing,  with  its  great  sounding-board,  on  which  was  painted 
the  symbolic  Dove,  seeming  to  poise  itself  in  air  just  above  the 
head  of  the  preacher.  It  was,  in  its  entirety,  a  solemn  and  glorious 
spectacle,  calculated  to  stir  the  most  sluggish  emotions.  But 
the  eminent  priest  lay  quiet  on  his  bier,  unaffected  by  what  moved 
all  the  living;  his  race  was  run  and  his  work  performed.  The 
Church  was  filled  to  the  walls  with  spectators,  from  whom  arose 
a  subdued  sound  of  reverent  talk  and  comment.  Many  of  them 
had  come  from  afar;  they  were  old  people  and  young,  men  and 
women,  but  women  chiefly,  rich  and  poor,  but  chiefly,  it  seemed 
poor;  Catholics  and  Protestants.  Nor  was  the  Hebrew  race 
unrepresented;  in  a  pew  of  the  central  aisle  sat  the  Rabbi  Got- 
thiel,  silent  and  absorbed. 

“The  civilized  world  is  divided  now,  as  it  was  in  the  begin¬ 
ning,  between  the  Jews  —  the  Democrats  —  and  the  imperial 
Church  of  Christ.  The  essence  of  what  the  one  believes,  the 
other  now,  as  always,  denies.  But  in  these  days  the  odium 
theologicum  is  subdued,  and  men  of  varying  or  hostile  creeds 
meet  as  men  and  friends;  the  stoning  of  infidels  and  the  inquisi¬ 
tion  on  the  heretics  are  no  more.  The  Church  of  Rome  is  the 
mightiest  of  all  human  organizations;  it  is  substantial  and  per- 


564  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


feet  down  to  its  last  detail.  From  the  central  Christ  of  the  creed, 
down  through  the  Roman  Pontiff,  and  so  on,  branching  and 
disseminating  from  the  red-capped  cardinal  to  the  humblest 
black-cassocked  priest,  the  august  and  absolute  spiritual  author¬ 
ity  is  passed  along,  and  exercised,  and  obeyed.  Every  phrase 
used  by  the  fathers  in  their  speech  with  the  faithful,  in  their 
prayers  and  addresses,  in  their  ritual  for  every  human  and  divine 
occasion,  has  been  repeated  since  the  earliest  days  of  the  Church; 
there  is  an  endless  vista  of  history  and  tradition  behind  them, 
giving  them  an  awful  weight  and  sanctity  of  influence  and  obli¬ 
gation;  they  possess  something  akin  to  a  magical  power;  they 
are  the  refined  and  crystallized  essence  of  the  will  of  the  Most 
High;  the  spiritual  spontaneity  which  we  cultivate  in  the  dissent¬ 
ing  churches  is  not  countenanced  in  the  Church  of  Christ;  in  that 
Church,  what  has  been,  ever  shall  be,  world  without  end.  Nor 
can  we  pause  in  our  backward  view  of  these  wonderful  ceremonies 
with  the  organization  which  dates  from  the  early  Christian  cen¬ 
turies.  Beyond  them  the  tradition  and  the  forms  recede  into  an 
infinite  perspective;  pagan  Greece  and  Rome,  and  hoary  Egypt, 
and  those  yet  more  remote  religious  exercises  which  we  dimly 
trace  in  the  records  of  Elam  and  the  unknown  East,  have  their 
contemporary  representation  in  the  Catholic  solemnities  of  this 
twentieth  century.  And  over  against  these  stand  the  not  less 
antique  and  enduring  beliefs  of  the  great  and  mysterious  Hebrew 
race,  who  believe  in  one  unchangeable  God,  ancient  of  days,  and 
who  yet  look  for  His  Messiah.  Before  Him  they  stand  in  an 
unalterable  and  everlasting  equality;  the  first  of  commonwealths, 
and  possibly  the  last.  But  they  mingled  yesterday  with  the 
others,  and  bowed  their  heads  with  them  in  harmonious  respect 
to  the  memory  of  an  honorable  and  worthy  fellow-creature. 

“But  the  dead  Archbishop  lay  motionless  and  undemonstra- 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  565 


tive  on  his  bier  and  paid  no  heed  to  either  Jew  or  Gentile,  faith¬ 
ful  or  unfaithful.  His  interest  in  the  things  of  earth  was  past 
forever.  After  the  hour  at  which  the  procession  of  priests  was 
scheduled  to  appear  there  was  a  long  interval  of  waiting,  borne 
by  the  vast  crowd  in  the  pews  more  or  less  patiently;  at  times  the 
organ  sent  forth  its  rolling  melodies;  candles  burned;  the  sun¬ 
light  fell  through  the  tinted  windows;  the  ushers  moved  on  tip¬ 
toe  to  and  fro;  the  closing  of  a  pew-door  resounded  through  the 
hollow  edifice.  The  audience  watched  and  waited,  and  the 
dead  Archbishop  also  waited;  all  save  waiting  was  over  for  him 
in  this  world,  and  there  was  no  symptom  of  impatience  from  him. 
His  hands  that  clasped  the  crucifix  did  not  tremble;  the  expression 
on  the  sunken  gray  features  did  not  change.  Rigid  and  immov¬ 
able  he  lay,  waiting  for  what  was  to  come;  for  the  Day  of  Judg¬ 
ment  and  the  last  sound  of  the  angelic  trumpets.  To-day  and 
to-morrow  would  pass  away,  and  years  would  follow  years,  and 
the  Archbishop  would  never  stir  hand  or  foot,  or  draw  a  labor¬ 
ing  breath.  He  had  entered  into  his  rest,  and  none  could  dis¬ 
turb  him  again.  He  lay  clad  in  his  priestly  garments  and  in  the 
awful  majesty  of  death.  At  last,  the  wide  doors  in  the  front  of 
the  Church  were  noiselessly  thrown  open  and  the  blank,  white 
daylight  streamed  in  upon  the  columned  obscurity.  Thousands 
of  heads  were  turned,  and  gradually  the  entire  mass  of  human 
beings  rose  in  their  seats  and  looked  towards  the  West.  The 
procession  was  about  to  enter.  Slowly  and  with  dignity  they 
came,  pacing  two  and  two  up  the  central  aisle.  Scores  upon 
scores  they  passed,  hundreds  treading  in  the  steps  of  hundreds; 
they  walked  with  heads  bowed  and  hands  folded,  the  priests  and 
dignitaries  of  the  Church  in  their  official  vestments.  Some  wore 
on  their  shoulders  surplices  of  white  lawn  or  lace,  others  were 
clad  in  the  severe  garb  of  the  monks;  others  appeared  in  plain 


566  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


black;  still  others,  as  the  long  file  continued,  showed  the  richer 
garments  of  the  higher  ecclesiastical  order. 

“Slowly  and  interminably  they  marched,  defiling  and  deploy¬ 
ing,  passing  up  and  onward  until  they  were  silently  absorbed 
in  the  great  space  before  the  altar,  behind  and  around  the  high 
bier  with  its  august  occupant.  And  still  others  came  and  others 
till  the  broad  aisle  was  filled  and  the  marchers  paused  and  seated 
themselves  each  man  on  the  folding-chair  that  had  been  pro¬ 
vided  for  him.  It  was  a  marvellous  sight  to  see  the  profile  of 
these  priestly  heads  passing  successively  one  after  another,  bowed 
and  serious.  Endless  was  the  variety  of  types;  inexhaustible  the 
diversity  of  character;  they  were  old  and  young,  high  and  low, 
noble  and  plain,  dignified  and  awkward,  stern  and  mild,  humble 
and  proud,  strong  and  weak;  none  was  like  another  in  all  that 
multitude;  and  yet  all  had  in  common  one  look  —  the  look  of  the 
Catholic  priest  —  the  look  of  mingled  authority  and  obedience. 
There  is  no  other  look  that  could  be  mistaken  for  it  in  the  tribe 
of  mortal  men;  it  told  of  such  a  training  and  discipline  as  no 
other  men  are  called  on  to  sustain.  It  was  the  look  worn  by 
those  who  spread  the  doctrines  of  the  Church  over  the  face  of 
the  earth;  who  worked  and  suffered  and  died  to  save  souls  in  the 
primeval  wildernesses;  who  have  built  up  in  their  fellow-men 
this  mighty  fact  of  the  Catholic  Church.  It  allied  them  one  with 
another  and  brought  them  into  unity,  one  stupendous  organism, 
the  body  of  Christ.  They  constituted  one  of  the  greatest  forces 
ever  created  on  earth;  quiet,  subtle,  omnipresent,  well-nigh  irresis¬ 
tible.  Behind  them  lies  a  history  of  deeds  unparalleled.  And 
after  two  thousand  years  they  seem  as  strong,  as  compact  and 
purposeful  as  in  the  days  of  the  early  fathers.  These  are  the  men 
who  overthrew  paganism,  who  rule  to-day  the  larger  part  of  the 
Christian  world.  From  them  emanated  the  holy  army  of  mar- 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  567 


tyrs  and  the  company  of  the  saints;  from  their  ranks  were  chosen 
the  popes  who  governed  Europe  and  turned  the  tides  of  history. 
Their  outward  temporal  power  is  no  longer  what  it  was;  but 
the  power  of  no  temporal  monarch  equals  theirs.  Authority 
and  obedience  mingle  in  their  aspect ;  these  are  the  virtues  to  which 
the  world  succumbs. 

“Each  as  he  passed  the  bier  cast  a  glance  upon  him  who 
lay  there;  but  he  gave  no  answering  look.  He  had  looked  his 
last  in  the  face  of  man ;  he  was  now  facing  a  Countenance 
not  mortal  nor  finite.  He  was  dead,  and  immortally  wedded 
henceforth  to  interests  beyond  the  grave.  The  long  procession 
was  stayed  at  last,  and  then  ensued  another  interval,  followed 
by  the  entrance  of  the  Cardinal  who  was  to  officiate  at  the  Requiem 
Mass.  He  came  walking  with  feeble  steps  amid  a  company  of 
his  brethren ;  on  his  head  was  the  crimson  beretta  and  he  wore  the 
red  robes  of  his  princely  rank.  His  face  was  turned  earthward; 
it  was  a  worn  and  ascetic  visage,  scholarly  and  gentle.  Cardinal 
Gibbons  is  an  older  man  than  his  fellow-priest  who  lay  on  the 
bier;  but  he  still  lived  and  the  other  had  passed  on  to  a  life 
whereof  the  Cardinal  knew  nothing  experimentally.  He  too  lifted 
his  face  as  he  went  by  the  rigid  figure  outstretched  yonder,  and 
he  bowed  himself  again  in  reverence  to  death.  There  came  no 
answering  obeisance;  priestly  rank  had  no  further  concern  with 
Archbishop  Corrigan,  and  had  the  Pope  done  homage  to  him  he 
would  have  been  met  with  the  same  silent  and  appalling  indiffer¬ 
ence.  There  is  no  respect  of  persons  with  God,  and  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  had  been  invested  with  a  democratic  dignity  surpassing 
any  that  mortal  authority  can  bestow.  To  death  must  we  all 
come  at  last,  and  in  the  dust  be  equal  made,  and  that  equality 
is  greater  and  more  impressive  than  any  nobility  or  royalty  of 
living  men.  It  endures  forever.  Now,  preparation  was  made 


568  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


for  the  Mass  for  the  dead.  Forgive  thy  servant,  Almighty  One, 
for  his  sins;  raise  him  up  from  the  grave  as  thy  Beloved  Son  was 
raised  up!  The  organ  pours  forth  its  sublime  notes  and  voices  rise 
in  music,  praising  and  beseeching  the  Lord.  At  the  high  altar, 
priest  and  acolyte  perform  their  homage  and  observe  their  rit¬ 
ual.  The  candles  shine  in  the  holy  dusk,  the  vestments  gleam, 
there  are  bowings  and  prostrations,  the  plaintive  voices  of  the 
worshippers  implore  the  Unseen  Power,  the  sweet  faint  notes 
of  bells  sound  from  sacred  recesses,  the  censers  swing  and  the 
delicate  precious  perfume  floats  through  the  still  air  and  dims 
with  its  light  haze  the  adoring  figures  and  the  shrine  at  which 
they  kneel. 

“Nothing  done  by  man  is  more  subtly  moving  in  its  influ¬ 
ence  than  the  Catholic  Mass;  no  other  dramatic  representation 
approaches  it  in  significance  and  sublimity.  It  is  the  most  won¬ 
derful  and  cogent  appeal  ever  devised  by  humanity  for  the  bles¬ 
sing  and  presence  of  its  Creator.  After  the  plaintive  implorings 
comes  a  hush.  We  seem  to  be  looking  far  into  the  heart  of  a 
holiness  and  a  mystery  too  profound  for  speech  and  thought. 
Has  the  Most  High  indeed  deigned  to  come  down  to  us  ?  Are 
we  standing  in  that  ineffable  Presence?  The  silence  sings  in 
the  waiting  ear;  then,  of  a  sudden,  with  a  glorious  rush  of  sound, 
comes  the  organ  thunder  and  the  outburst  of  triumphant  voices 
shaking  and  overpowering  the  soul.  The  Lord  is  with  us;  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord!  Who  can  withstand  that  marvellous 
outburst  ?  What  heart  but  must  leap  up  and  acknowledge  that 
triumph?  The  audience  vibrates  with  emotion;  the  priests 
avow  their  spiritual  ecstasy;  the  atmosphere  rocks  with  the  storm 
of  the  acclaim;  there  is  only  one  who  remains  unresponsive. 
That  stern,  meek  figure  on  the  bier  is  deaf  even  to  this  supreme 
appeal.  His  heart  gives  not  a  throb;  his  ears  are  deaf  in  the 


THE  DEATH  OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN  569 


midst  of  all  this  life  and  passion  and  uplifting  of  the  soul.  Or 
is  he  rapt  in  a  music  compared  with  which  this  is  but  a  discordant 
murmur  ?  Do  his  closed  eyes  behold  glories  compared  with 
which  these  are  but  dust  and  ashes?  We  cannot  reach  him; 
we  cannot  move  him.  What  do  we  here  in  our  darkness  and 
impotence,  thinking  to  honor  him  who  is  beyond  all  human 
honors  ?  The  holy  thunders  of  the  Mass  die  away  and  are  stilled 
and  the  Archbishop  rests  as  before,  inaccessible  on  his  terrible 
throne. 

“Yet  it  was  a  spectacle  and  a  ceremony  well  worth  seeing, 
and  to  be  taken  deeply  to  heart.  Doubtless  those  stern-visaged 
men,  dressed  in  steeple-crowned  hats  and  sad-colored  garments, 
who  came  to  us,  when  America  was  a  wilderness,  desiring  to  wor¬ 
ship  God  in  simplicity  and  freedom,  doubtless  these  men  would 
have  looked  strangely  had  they  been  told  that  their  descendants, 
after  two-hundred  and  fifty  years,  would  assemble  in  sympathetic 
thousands  at  such  a  celebration  as  this.  .  .  .  The  scene  in  the 
Catholic  Church  to-day  is  not  a  sign  that  we  have  fallen  beneath 
the  level  of  those  stern  forefathers  of  ours.  It  is  a  sign  that 
humanity  is  becoming  too  great  for  the  divisions  of  the  churches; 
that  it  is  approaching  a  unity  of  all  dissensions.  .  . 


Cathedral  College 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 


BISHOP  MCQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 

THE  Month’s  Mind  of  Archbishop 
Corrigan  was  celebrated  on  the 
11th  of  June,  with  Bishop  Farley, 
then  administrator  of  the  diocese,  as 
celebrant,  assisted  by  Monsignor  Ed¬ 
wards,  Rev.  Charles  McCready,  and 
Rev.  Albert  Lings.  The  discourse  was 
delivered  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bernard  J.  Mc- 
Quaid, 

bishop  of  the  province,  life-long  friend 
of  the  late  Archbishop,  intimately  ac¬ 
quainted  in  person  with  most  of  the 
history  set  forth  in  this  work,  pulpit 
orator  of  the  first  rank,  and  most  characteristic  prelate  of  his  time, 
able,  original,  and  fearless.  Positive  and  convincing  in  his  public 
speeches,  candid  in  policy,  and  careless  of  popular  opinion,  the  whole 
world  knew  him  by  1880,  knew  where  he  stood  on  all  important 
questions,  fought  him  occasionally,  but  ended  by  admiring  the 
octogenarian  who  had  stood  by  his  guns  from  the  opening  of  the 
campaign,  never  left  his  post,  and  bore  his  age  with  the  dignity  and 
the  vivacity  of  a  younger  man.  He  had  a  share  in  the  development 
of  the  character  of  Archbishop  Corrigan,  and  an  intimate  place 
among  his  advisers.  The  discourse  delivered  by  the  Bishop  at  the 
Month’s  Mind  is  worthy  of  preservation,  and  is  such  a  review  of 
this  book  that  to  omit  it  from  the  last  chapter  would  be  an  oversight. 

(570) 


Bishop  of  Rochester,  senior 


BISHOP  McQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 


571 


It  is  indeed  the  summing  up  and  the  confirmation  of  this  history. 
After  reading  some  appropriate  verses  from  St.  Paul’s  First 
Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians  and  alluding  briefly  to  the  character 
of  the  late  Archbishop,  he  began  his  description  of  the  history  of 
the  Church  in  New  York. 

“New  York  has  had  five  administrators  in  its  three  quarters 
of  a  century  of  existence.  The  first  was  a  remarkable  man, 
though  he  made  no  note  in  the  history  of  the  diocese.  He  was 
a  man  of  years  when  chosen  in  Rome  to  come  to  New  York;  he 
stood  high  in  the  ranks  of  the  order  of  which  he  was  a  member, 
and  was  well  known  to  the  authorities  in  Rome  and  justly  appre¬ 
ciated  by  them.  He  came  to  New  York  in  1815,  and  he  found 
in  the  whole  State,  and  in  the  northern  half  of  New  Jersey,  four 
priests.  By  1822  the  number  had  grown  to  eight.  Some  had 
their  permanent  home  in  the  city,  and  others  were  sent  out  to 
the  most  remote  parts  of  the  State,  some  with  knapsacks  on  their 
backs,  carrying  their  vestments,  that  wherever  they  found  a  poor, 
stray  sheep  of  the  fold  he  might  receive  the  consolations  of  his 
religion.  One  was  stationed  in  Paterson,  one  in  Newark,  one 
at  the  settlements  along  the  North  River  reaching  towards  Albany, 
one  had  his  home  in  Albany,  with  what  is  now  the  diocese  of  Al¬ 
bany  as  his  parish;  another  was  at  Utica,  and  the  last  was  at 
Rochester.  The  Bishop  himself,  with  all  his  learning  and  digni¬ 
fied,  princely  manners,  was  a  simple  parish  priest;  every  work 
that  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  parish  priest  fell  to  him;  in  a  few  years, 
having  brought  on  his  last  sickness  by  attending  to  parochial 
duties,  God  called  him  to  his  rest.  But  even  he,  in  those  early 
days  when  the  resources  were  as  nothing  and  the  people  but  a 
handful,  he  wrote  over  to  Rome  expressing  his  regret  that  it  was 
utterly  impossible  to  establish  what  his  heart  longed  for,  a  semi¬ 
nary  for  the  education  and  training  of  youth  for  the  priesthood. 


572  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

“He  was  followed  by  Bishop  Dubois,  a  man  of  distinguished 
parts.  He  had  been  obliged  to  escape  from  France  during  the 
Revolution,  and,  landing  in  America  at  Norfolk,  he  entered  upon 
the  work  of  the  ministry  in  the  diocese  of  Baltimore.  His  chief 
work  was  founding  Mount  St.  Mary’s  College  and  Seminary  at 
Emmettsburgh.  He  was  a  man  of  eminent  learning,  of  fine 
accomplishments,  and  with  the  zeal  of  an  apostle  eating  up  his 
soul.  As  Bishop  of  New  York  he  found  difficulties  of  many 
kinds;  he  was  a  Frenchman  by  birth  speaking  the  English  tongue 
imperfectly;  his  people,  except  a  few,  were  not  French.  Then 
great  contradictions  arose  before  him.  In  his  time,  as  from  the 
beginning  of  the  Church  in  the  United  States,  the  government 
of  all  parishes  was  in  the  hands  of  laymen,  who  dictated  to  bishops 
what  should  be  done.  In  the  archives  of  the  diocese  of  Rochester 
we  have  a  letter,  addressed  by  the  trustees  of  the  only  church 
then  in  western  New  York,  a  letter  characterized  by  impertinence 
and  insolence,  and  shameful  interference  with  the  rights  and 
duties  of  a  bishop.  They  addressed  their  Bishop  a  letter  cover¬ 
ing  four  pages,  with  a  species  of  humility  running  through  it 
contradicted  by  their  acts.  The  children  of  those  men  would 
be  sorry  to-day  to  have  that  letter  published.  This  half-Catholic 
spirit  was  the  rule  in  all  the  dioceses  of  the  country.  John  Dubois 
was  a  true  missionary,  a  true  man  of  God.  His  ambition  was 
to  establish  schools  for  the  young,  colleges  for  the  more  advanced, 
and  a  seminary  for  the  priests.  He  little  comprehended  the 
growth  of  the  country;  as  indeed  no  one  of  the  five  administrators 
of  New  York  was  ever  able  to  foresee  its  future,  and  anticipate 
what  was  coming.  A  seminary  was  built  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Hudson  at  a  place  called  Nyack,  difficult  of  access  except  by  sloop  or, 
perhaps,  steamer.  It  was  burned  down  in  the  miserable  excitement 
that  then  raged  over  the  country  in  the  Maria  Monk  troubles. 


BISHOP  McQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 


573 


“Bishop  Dubois  then  chose  another  place  four  hundred 
miles  away,  Lafargeville,  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  to  be  reached 
from  New  York  in  eight  or  ten  days  by  steamer,  canal-barge 
and  stage.  The  climate  was  inhospitable,  the  soil  poor,  and  the 
venture  in  two  years  proved  a  dismal  failure.  With  the  advent 
of  Bishop  Hughes  as  coadjutor  and  next  administrator,  a  third 
administration  began.  Administrators  are  not  always  rightly 
judged  by  their  accomplishments;  these  are  often  determined  by 
opportunities,  demands,  and  possibilities.  The  first  two  adminis¬ 
trators  have  left  behind  them  no  monuments  but  those  of  zeal, 
good-will  and  the  true  missionary  spirit.  Circumstances  and  their 
surroundings  defeated  their  best  endeavors.  When  Bishop  Hughes 
arrived  in  New  York  from  Philadelphia,  in  1838,  he  had  already 
a  reputation  for  ability,  manliness  of  character,  great  courage,  and 
bravery,  not  disposed  to  be  defiant  unnecessarily,  but  fearing  no 
man  when  called  upon  to  speak  or  act.  The  Irish  immigration 
was  just  beginning  to  surge  across  the  Atlantic,  throwing  its  peo¬ 
ple  in  vast  numbers  upon  our  shores.  A  bishop’s  first  duty  was 
to  provide  priests  for  these  incoming  members  of  Christ’s  flock, 
for  priests  did  not  come  with  them,  and  inducements  were  not 
many.  Indeed,  but  a  few  years  before  his  advent,  it  often  hap¬ 
pened  that  parents  living  in  western  New  York  brought  their 
children  for  baptism  to  New  York  City,  journeying  four  hundred 
miles  by  stages  to  Albany  and  sloops  to  New  York.  A  notable 
instance  was  that  of  the  late  Senator  Kernan.  The  cry  in  every 
bishop’s  ear  was,  send  us  a  priest!  One  of  Bishop  Hughes’  first 
acts  was  to  give  up  Lafargeville  and  purchase  the  Rosehill  property 
at  Fordham.  It  was  before  the  extension  of  the  Harlem  railway 
beyond  Harlem.  Here  in  1841  he  opened  a  college  and  semi¬ 
nary  under  Rev.  John  McCloskey,  afterwards  Cardinal,  as  its 
first  president.  Whatever  was  left  of  Lafargeville  was  brought 


574  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

to  Fordham.  In  1844,  the  theological  department  of  Fordham 
was  removed  to  old  St.  John’s  Literary  Institute,  that  then  stood 
where  now  is  the  high  altar  of  this  cathedral.  In  six  months 
it  was  brought  back  to  Fordham,  and  the  Lazarists,  who  had 
charge  of  it,  retired  from  the  diocese  in  1844.  In  1846,  the  Rose- 
hill  property  was  sold  to  the  Jesuits,  with  the  reservation  of  the 
new  seminary  building  and  ten  acres  of  land. 

“By  1860  Catholics  had  so  increased  in  number,  and  the 
demand  for  priests  in  proportion,  that  it  was  determined  to  estab¬ 
lish  a  seminary  for  the  province  of  New  York,  comprising  at  that 
time  the  six  New  England  States,  New  York  and  New  Jersey. 
A  central  point  at  Troy  was  chosen.  Large  buildings  formerly 
used  by  the  Methodists  were  bought.  Bishop  McCloskey  went 
to  Belgium  and  secured  the  services  of  an  eminent  corps  of  pro¬ 
fessors,  graduates  of  Louvain,  who,  under  the  presidency  of  Dr. 
Vandenhende,  in  1863,  opened  St.  Joseph’s  Provincial  Seminary. 
Here  for  a  while  it  was  thought  that  a  seminary  would  be  founded 
to  answer  all  the  requirements  of  the  growing  Church  for  many 
years  to  come.  No  one  seemed  to  doubt  its  permanence  and 
efficiency  for  all  the  wants  of  the  Church.  What  appeared  to 
be  wonderful  far-sightedness  then  was  soon  seen  to  be  short¬ 
sightedness.  Yet  the  Troy  Seminary  was  a  blessed  boon  to  the 
Church,  and  in  its  day  turned  out  over  seven  hundred  priests. 
By  this  time  it  became  evident  that  another  problem  faced  the 
hierarchy.  This  was  the  Christian  education  of  the  young  of 
the  incoming  immigrants.  Bishop  Dubois  and  Bishop  Hughes, 
like  others  at  a  later  date,  thought  that  a  compromise  with  the 
State  might  be  brought  about  by  which  education  without  positive 
and  distinctive  religious  instruction  might  suffice.  The  price  to 
be  paid  was  the  money  of  the  tax-payers.  An  education  without 
Christ  in  the  school,  as  attempted  in  the  old  Cathedral  school, 


BISHOP  McQU AID’S  APPRECIATION 


575 


proved  a  lamentable  failure,  but  a  serviceable  lesson.  It  was  then 
that  Bishop  Hughes  was  led  to  declare  publicly  that  the  day  had 
come  for  the  Catholic  school  to  precede  the  Church.  With  this 
thought  in  mind,  he  turned  all  his  energies  towards  making  the 
Catholic  school  possible  everywhere.  Brothers  and  sisters  of 
various  communities  were  invited  to  the  diocese,  and  encourage¬ 
ment  was  freely  lent  for  growth  and  successful  work.  There  is 
a  change  to-day  from  that  first  colony  of  religious  children  of 
Mother  Seton,  herself  a  convert  and  child  of  the  diocese,  baptized 
in  old  St.  Peter’s  Church  on  Barclay  Street,  and  the  multitudes 
engaged  in  Catholic  schools  before  Bishop  Hughes’  death  in 
1864. 

“Times  had  been  stormy  under  John  Hughes.  Why  not? 
The  Maria  Monk  troubles  had  disgraced  the  country  and  cut 
to  the  heart  the  timid  Catholics  of  America.  This  outbreak 
was  followed  by  the  Native- American  disturbances  and  riots; 
four  or  five  mobs  at  different  times  had  gathered  to  destroy  the 
old  Cathedral  on  Mott  Street.  The  last  time  I  witnessed  an 
assault  upon  it  the  mayor  was  there,  and  artillery,  cavalry,  and 
regiments  of  infantry,  to  protect  the  Church  in  New  York  City. 
They  were,  I  say,  troublous  times  when  John  Hughes  reigned, 
who  found  it  more  difficult  to  defend  the  Church’s  rights  because 
of  the  timidity  of  his  own  people.  The  Catholics  of  New  York 
were  afraid  to  hold  up  their  heads.  They  were  few  in  number, 
but  sufficiently  numerous  to  make  themselves  felt  had  they  had 
the  courage  of  men.  But  Bishop  Hughes  defied  all  those  enemies; 
he  defied  the  press,  that  without  exception  was  bitter  against 
him,  that  reviled  him  day  by  day,  that  misrepresented  his  actions, 
that  excited  the  lowest  bigots  of  the  country  to  rise  up  against 
the  Catholic  Church.  His  heart  never  failed,  his  courage  never 
gave  way,  not  even  when  struck  in  the  back  by  his  own  people; 


576  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


not  even  when  a  trusted  member  of  his  flock  took  sides  against 
him  privately,  and  caused  the  politicians  at  Albany  to  withdraw 
from  their  intention  to  render  just  rights  to  the  Catholics  of  the 
country.  Often  had  I  occasion  to  listen  to  Catholics  out  in  rural 
districts,  who,  having  read  the  New  York  papers  —  chiefly  the 
New  York  Herald  —  had  their  minds  poisoned  by  these  attacks, 
and  had  grown  ashamed  of  him  who  of  all  men  that  had  ever 
lived  in  the  country  was  best  able  from  his  bravery  of  soul  to  lead 
us.  His  own  friends,  I  say,  stabbed  him  in  the  back,  and  he 
went  to  his  grave  not  knowing  the  names  of  the  traitors.  But 
when  the  storm  was  passing  away  and  the  merits  of  the  man  were 
about  to  be  thoroughly  appreciated,  when  he  was  called  upon  by 
the  government  of  the  country  to  assist  them  in  securing  peace 
in  Mexico,  and  later  on  to  hold  back  the  interference  of  European 
powers  during  our  desperate  Civil  War,  his  merits  were  better 
understood. 

“Then  came  the  gentle  reign  of  Cardinal  McCloskey,  a  prince 
among  princes,  a  man  of  learning  and  fine  parts,  devoted  to  his 
church  work,  but  well  adapted  to  smooth  over  the  asperities  of 
the  past  and  quell  opposition  by  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of 
his  manner.  He  took  up  the  work  at  the  very  beginning  of  his 
administration  which  John  Hughes  had  initiated.  Bishop  Hughes 
showed  more  foresight  than  any  one  that  has  ever  had  the  care 
of  this  diocese.  Some  of  you  may  remember  that  Sunday  after¬ 
noon  when  we  met  here  for  the  placing  of  the  corner-stone  of  this 
Church.  The  location  was  far  out  in  the  fields,  one  might  say; 
they  were  only  beginning  to  open  other  streets  than  Third  Avenue 
and  the  Bloomingdale  Road  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city.  It  was 
a  warm  afternoon,  very  dusty,  every  one  thought  that  John  Hughes 
was  visionary.  The  idea  of  placing  a  cathedral  here!  They 
criticized  him,  and  they  found  fault,  and  when  at  last  he  sue- 


BISHOP  McQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 


577 


ceeded  in  raising  $70,000  of  the  $100,000  which  he  proposed  to 
raise,  we  were  all  filled  with  amazement  that  so  much  money 
could  be  found  among  our  Catholic  people.  He  then  wisely  left 
the  foundation  walls  covered  up.  When  Bishop  McCloskey 
came  our  people  had  increased  largely  in  number,  churches  were 
spread  over  the  island,  the  financial  resources  of  our  people  had 
also  grown,  and  he  was  able  to  complete  this  cathedral. 

“The  first  four  bishops  were  eminent,  distinguished  men,  yet 
how  little  they  accomplished  in  the  beginning!  John  Con¬ 
nolly,  first  bishop,  next  to  nothing,  except  the  one  good  work  of 
carefully  looking  after  all  the  members  of  the  flock  that  were  here 
under  his  jurisdiction.  John  Dubois  did  more  for  population, 
and  resources  had  grown.  They  made  efforts  to  establish  ecclesi¬ 
astical  undertakings  on  a  right  basis,  but  their  accomplishments 
were  not  many.  John  Connolly  brought  the  first  Sisters  of  Charity 
to  this  island.  Bishop  Dubois  increased  the  number  of  those 
that  were  thus  to  work,  and  by  the  time  Bishop  Hughes  came 
into  action  it  was  necessary  to  widen  the  boundaries  and  bring 
in  more  help  of  men  and  women;  and  so  religious  communities 
were  multiplied.  So  I  say  to-day,  in  view  of  the  past,  when  no 
one  had  any  conception  of  the  Church’s  future  in  New  York, 
there  is  no  one  living  that  would  presume  to  speak  of  the  future 
of  this  diocese  in  the  course  of  the  next  fifty  years.  Where  is  it 
to  end?  What  is  to  be  the  outcome  of  its  possibilities  in  the 
next  half  century,  if  the  past  fifty  years,  under  adverse  circum¬ 
stances,  brought  forth  so  much  ? 

“At  the  end  of  the  fourth  administration  the  fifth  ruling  power 
came  into  play.  This  was  the  illustrious  dead,  whose  memory 
we  honor  this  day,  Archbishop  Corrigan.  His  preparation  was 
a  most  excellent  one:  from  his  childhood  a  young  saint,  in  college 
a  bright  and  successful  student,  in  the  American  College  at  Rome, 


578  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


where  his  theological  course  was  completed,  crowned  at  its  close 
with  the  doctorate;  then  for  four  years  after  his  return  to  America 
at  Seton  Hall  College,  in  various  offices.  I  speak  of  what  I  know 
well.  No  young  student  in  that  seminary  was  more  observant 
of  rule  than  its  director;  no  one  there  kept  more  faithfully  the 
hours  of  study  and  of  rest  than  Dr.  Corrigan.  In  those  four 
years  his  life  was  beautiful,  simple,  truly  pious,  devoted  to  his 
work  and  to  God;  no  evidence  was  there  of  any  desire  to  distin¬ 
guish  himself  or  to  rise  above  others,  warranted  by  his  superior 
ability;  no  evidence  in  those  four  years  other  than  that  he  meant 
to  be  a  professor  there  to  live  and  there  to  die.  When  at  length, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  he  was  called  to  take  charge  of  the 
college  and  seminary,  in  succession  to  the  former  president,  his 
Bishop,  when  spoken  to,  said:  ‘I  cannot  place  him  there;  he  is 
only  a  girl.’  One  who  knew  him  well  answered:  ‘he  may  be  a 
girl  in  appearance,  but  he  is  a  man  of  God  in  his  soul  and  as  firm 
as  a  rock.’  And  so  he  was  almost  forced  into  office  as  .president 
of  college  and  seminary  and  vicar-general  of  the  diocese. 

“In  three  or  four  years  Bishop  Bayley  of  Newark  was  removed 
to  Baltimore,  and  a  successor  had  to  be  found.  When  the  name 
of  Dr.  Corrigan  was  mentioned  there  was  a  smile  on  every  one’s 
face.  ‘How  can  we  think  of  making  him  a  bishop?’  His  own 
bishop  did  not  desire  him  for  his  successor;  quite  the  contrary, 
for  he  had  another  choice.  But  when  the  matter  came  before 
the  Board  of  Bishops  I  spoke  from  my  certain  knowledge  and 
assured  the  bishops  that  they  had  little  comprehension  of  the 
capacity  and  the  learning  and  the  strength  of  will-power  of  that 
mere  boy,  as  they  regarded  him;  and  upon  the  pledge  of  my  word 
in  ten  minutes  he  was  placed  first  on  the  list.  He  then  spent  four 
years  to  prepare  himself  in  New  Jersey  for  coming  to  New  York. 
They  were  four  years  of  most  excellent  discipline.  He  learned 


BISHOP  McQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 


579 


to  do  everything  except  to  construct  a  building.  That  he  never 
learned.  He  learned  how  to  organize  men,  to  use  them  to  do 
his  work,  systematically,  orderly,  according  to  rule,  seeking  to 
throw  upon  them  the  responsibility  of  work  for  which  they  were 
well  adapted  and  he  was  not  adapted  at  all.  In  New  Jersey, 
during  his  years  there,  you  might  call  him  almost  a  missionary 
bishop,  going  from  place  to  place  with  the  same  sweet  simplicity 
of  manner.  When  at  last  he  was  chosen  for  New  York  by  the 
Cardinal,  though  still  very  young-looking  in  appearance  and  very 
young  in  years,  too,  he  came  not  here  unprepared,  but  he  came 
here  to  find  difficulties  that  he  never  dreamed  of,  that  did  not 
show  themselves  in  the  lifetime  of  the  Cardinal,  whose  princely 
dignity  and  past  record  in  Albany  and  New  York  had  held  in 
check  slumbering  disappointments.  There  never  was  a  man 
holding  the  office  of  bishop  against  whom  such  opposition  should 
have  arisen.  He  had  his  duty  to  do  and  he  did  it.  In  the  doing 
of  it,  if  troubles  broke  out,  there  was  never  a  moment’s  anger  in 
his  soul,  and  I  know  of  what  I  am  speaking.  There  was  grief 
that  the  humble  laity  might  be  scandalized  and  some  might  break 
away  from  the  fold.  But  his  duty  was  clear;  he  had  one  great 
advantage  —  he  knew  his  theology ;  he  knew  not  only  his  cate¬ 
chism,  which  the  humblest  member  of  the  flock  may  know,  but 
he  knew  profound,  scholastic  theology;  he  knew  it  in  all  its  appli¬ 
cation  to  change  of  time  and  circumstance;  he  had  learned  it  in 
the  source,  I  might  say,  of  Catholic  truth  and  teaching  —  in 
Rome  itself. 

“  In  his  mind  he  thought  as  God’s  Church  thought,  and  in  his 
soul  he  felt  as  the  apostles  of  old  felt,  or  as  those  great  bishops 
of  the  eastern  and  western  churches  in  their  days  of  trial  and 
persecution  and  martyrdom  felt.  They  grieved  that  God  should 
be  offended  by  the  unguided  and  the  disorderly;  but  they  held  to 


580  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

God’s  truth,  as  their  conscience  obliged  them  to  hold  steadfast 
to  their  faith.  In  those  days  your  Archbishop  had  one  friend, 
one  upon  whom  he  relied,  one  before  whom  he  went  at  every 
moment,  one  to  whom  he  could  open  his  heart,  and  that  friend 
was  Jesus  Christ  in  the  tabernacle.  Day  and  night  he  gave  way 
to  prayer,  and  no  angry  look  ever  came  from  his  countenance. 
He  felt  for  others;  he  had  no  enemies  except  the  devil  and  his 
works;  no  man  could  be  his  enemy  except  in  upholding  the  cause 
of  wrong  or  of  doctrine  untrue  to  the  gospel  of  Christ  and  of 
Christ’s  own  Church.  He  is  dead  now  —  cut  off  in  the  prime  of 
his  life,  just  when  the  world’s  crown  of  glory  was  being  woven  for 
his  head.  His  life,  as  administrator  of  New  York,  was  one  of 
toil  and  labor.  With  the  authority  of  a  father  speaking  to  his 
child,  how  often  I  almost  lost  patience  with  him  when  I  saw  that 
this  mode  of  life  was  breaking  him  down  and  would  prematurely 
end  his  days  unless  he  paid  some  regard  to  the  laws  of  nature. 
A  man  must  relax  at  times,  for  no  man  can  stand  the  strain  of 
early  days,  when  half  a  century  has  passed,  without  taking  occa¬ 
sional  rest.  There  was  no  rest  for  him;  he  would  try  to  com¬ 
bine  the  work  of  his  office  with  rest.  That  never  was  rest. 
When  he  left  the  city  for  a  short  vacation  his  business  followed 
him  wherever  he  went.  The  last  time  he  came  to  Rochester  I 
told  him  before  coming  that  unless  he  could  leave  his  business 
behind  him  it  was  no  use  to  come  to  my  beautiful  and  quiet 
summer  resort.  He  came  and  for  once  left  that  mill  of  toil 
behind  him.  I  only  know  of  two  or  three  letters  that  came  to 
him,  written  by  some  pious  nuns  who  ought  to  have  prayed  for 
him  and  kept  their  little  troubles  to  themselves. 

There  are  a  few  striking  incidents  of  his  life,  to  which  I  must 
refer.  I  do  not  speak  of  the  wonderful  works  he  has  accom¬ 
plished  here  in  the  city  and  all  through  the  diocese.  You  know 


BISHOP  McQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 


581 


all  these  things;  you  know  how  he  bravely  dared  to  plan  and 
carry  out  that  noble  seminary  at  Dunwoodie;  you  know  how 
anxious  he  was  that  your  children  should  all  be  gathered  into 
Catholic  schools;  and  you  of  the  clergy  who  last  met  him  know 
that  he  announced  his  will  with  regard  to  building  school-houses, 
when  he  declared  whoever  had  not  established  a  school  within 
two  years  must  give  his  reasons  therefore  in  writing.  With  him 
it  was  a  matter  of  conscience.  He  understood  that  no  bishop  can 
be  negligent  in  caring  for  the  young  without  sinning  before  God; 
and  with  no  thought  of  death  in  the  near  future  he  would  not 
have  his  soul  burdened  with  such  negligence.  When  first  I  heard 
of  his  approaching  death,  the  thought  came  into  my  mind:  how 
good  was  God  to  him,  that  all  through  his  administration  he  had 
sought  to  provide  for  the  young  of  his  flock,  yet  among  his  last 
acts  was  his  admirable  promulgation  to  the  clergy:  we  must  have 
schools  for  the  children.  He  knew  the  past  of  this  diocese,  how 
Bishop  Dubois  and  then  Bishop  Hughes  sought  a  combination 
with  the  city,  an  arrangement,  a  compromise  with  an  unbeliev¬ 
ing  State,  that  the  city  officials  would  pay  their  money  if  we  would 
put  Christ  and  the  crucifix  and  the  Blessed  Mary  and  all  the 
saints  and  God  out  of  our  school-houses  and  permit  no  mention 
of  God  or  Christ.  I  felt  that  at  last,  before  he  died,  if  ever  there 
was  a  weakness  in  the  man’s  character,  he  did  a  noble  act  that 
covered  over  everything  by  this  noble  pronouncement  in  behalf 
of  Christian  education. 

“I  sat  near  him  on  that  memorable  evening  when  his  silver 
jubilee  as  Bishop  was  celebrated  in  the  largest  hall  of  your  city, 
and  I  listened  to  men  of  eminent  ability,  clerics  and  laymen, 
Catholic  and  Protestant,  pouring  out  testimony  and  tributes  of 
excellence,  worth  and  virtue,  on  the  head  of  that  humble  man. 
I  tried  to  read  his  countenance.  I  wondered  how  he  could  listen 


582  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

to  it;  no  proud  man  could.  He  listened  to  it  all  absolutely  un¬ 
moved,  just  as  a  saint  might  listen  to  such  praise  of  another.  As 
I  scanned  his  countenance  I  could  see  no  exultation  of  heart,  no 
joy  of  spirit;  he  was  simply  passive.  When  he  rose  to  speak 
he  gave  due  thanks  to  all  who  had  been  so  kind  to  him,  he  thanked 
them  for  that  noble  gift  of  $250,000  coming  from  his  priests  and 
people;  he  thanked  them  for  all  that  they  had  done.  The  next 
evening  we  met  in  this  Church,  and  here  were  five  thousand  chil¬ 
dren,  the  representatives  of  the  forty  thousand  children  in  the 
church  schools  of  the  city.  He  ascended  this  pulpit  and  addressed 
those  children.  There  was  joy  in  his  soul;  then  was  he  uplifted, 
then  beautiful  passages  from  the  Scriptures  and  the  Fathers  came 
to  his  mind;  they  were  his  children.  The  sweet,  innocent  ones 
were  his  children;  they  told  of  his  success,  of  the  labors  of  his 
priests  and  people.  He  was  a  happy  man  that  evening.  I  will 
not  say  he  was  never  so  happy  before;  but  he  was  grateful  and 
glad,  and  his  soul,  overflowing  with  joy  because  of  what  was  being 
done  for  the  little  ones,  shone  upon  his  face  and  illumined  it. 

“Some  years  ago  the  Archbishop’s  loyalty  to  the  Holy  See 
was  called  in  question.  We  who  were  behind  the  scenes  knew 
what  was  passing,  and  understood  well  how  it  came  to  pass. 
We  had  read  the  newspapers  —  some  Catholic  journals  were  the 
worst.  Through  covert  insinuations  that  were  believed  in  many 
places,  the  Archbishop  was  charged  with  lack  of  loyalty  to  Rome, 
and  he  was  called  on  to  make  public  profession  of  his  faith  and 
loyalty.  Of  all  the  bishops  that  the  United  States  had  ever  known 
he  was  the  last  to  be  put  to  such  a  test;  he  was  the  last  to  have 
his  faith  and  loyalty  called  in  question.  I  never  could  have  gone 
through  what  he  so  gently  and  so  sweetly  did  in  his  simple  way. 
He  came  into  this  pulpit,  like  the  saint  that  he  was;  he  had  little, 
if  I  remember  rightly,  to  say  about  himself;  but  that  which 


BISHOP  McQUAID’S  APPRECIATION 


583 


troubled  him  was  that  this  diocese  of  New  York  should  ever  have 
its  loyalty  to  the  Holy  See  called  in  question.  So  he  recounted 
the  acts  of  the  past,  how  this  bishop  and  the  other  had  stood;  it 
was  not  to  defend  himself,  but  the  clergy,  and  the  people  of  this 
diocese,  that  he  spoke  those  beautiful  words,  worthy  of  any  con¬ 
fessor  of  the  faith  in  all  time  to  come.  He  knew  his  religion ;  he 
knew  the  authority  of  the  Church  of  Rome;  no  doubt  ever  crossed 
his  mind;  he  was  not  afraid  to  annonnce  his  teachings  whenever 
occasion  offered;  he  feared  not  the  world.  He  never  would  yield 
one  iota  to  win  the  applause  of  a  non-Catholic  community;  he 
won  it,  but  won  it  by  the  nobility  of  his  character,  his  honorable 
upholding  of  what  was  right  and  true  :  he  won  it  as  a  man  might 
win  it  and  not  have  to  bow  his  head  with  shame. 

“His  administration  has  come  to  a  close.  But  what  will  be 
the  administration  of  the  next  fifty  years?  From  the  four  priests 
and  a  bishop  in  1815  to  the  two  bishops  and  seven  hundred  and 
more  priests  in  1902!  Europe  stands  amazed  at  America.  Espec¬ 
ially  do  those  countries  stand  amazed  at  the  growth  of  a  city  like 
New  York,  destined  soon  to  be  the  money  centre  of  the  world, 
the  commercial  centre  of  America,  and  its  industrial  centre  at 
the  same  time.  The  world  is  forging  ahead  rapidly;  all  the  tradi¬ 
tions  of  the  past  are  thrown  to  one  side.  The  empires  of  Europe 
are  startled  by  what  they  behold;  and  when  men  take  the  trouble 
to  come  here  and  study  the  workings  of  the  Catholic  Church  in 
this  city  and  this  diocese,  they  too  are  startled.  We  are  not  so 
hampered  by  tradition  and  circumstance  as  other  countries;  we 
are  freer;  we  are  a  braver  people;  our  religion  lies  down  deep  in 
the  heart;  no  longer  are  we  ashamed  of  it;  to-day  every  means 
is  used  to  push  that  religion  forward,  that  the  whole  world  may 
know  what  is  this  religion  of  Christ.  What  is  to  be  the  future  of 
this  diocese  and  this  province  of  New  York?  Little  did  Bishop 


584  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


Connolly  do  in  his  day;  he  had  no  opportunity.  Little  did  Bishop 
Dubois  do;  he  had  no  opportunity.  The  opportunities  and 
possibilities  are  before  you;  before  you,  the  priests  and  laymen 
of  the  most  important  diocese  in  America,  if  not  in  Christendom. 
Yours  are  the  opportunities  and  the  possibilities  of  the  future. 
You  will  be  judged  by  what  you  shall  have  accomplished,  and  by 
what  you  shall  have  left  undone. 

“Now  I  sum  all  in  what,  I  think,  is  the  most  pleasant  feature 
in  the  life  and  work  of  Archbishop  Corrigan.  He  was  here  busy 
about  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  diocese,  holding  meetings,  trans¬ 
acting  business,  approving  of  this  and  correcting  that.  There 
are  other  men  in  this  city  busy  in  the  same  way;  but  that  work 
in  which  he  was  most  of  all  engaged,  which  chiefly  enlisted  his 
soul,  which  in  his  mind  was  paramount  in  this  diocese,  was  the 
education  of  his  priests,  so  that  not  only  should  their  minds  be 
filled  with  ecclesiastical  learning,  but  that  each  should  be  endowed 
with  a  spiritual  character,  and  lead  a  spiritual  life.  To  inform 
the  mind  and  fill  the  soul  with  courage,  to  preach  and  work  for 
the  people,  to  build  up  the  Church  are  noble  works;  but  Arch¬ 
bishop  Corrigan  desired  above  all  to  have  his  priests  superior 
men,  priestly  in  thought  and  word  and  act  everywhere,  neither 
boyish  nor  careless,  always  dignified  and  self-respecting,  so  that 
the  world  would  know  them  for  priests,  and  of  the  New  York  dio¬ 
cese,  everywhere.  And  above  all,  he  desired  them  to  be  men  of 
prayer.  This  ambition  was  most  praiseworthy.  Why  God  did 
not  permit  him  to  live  and  carry  out  his  grand  ideas,  God  only 
knows.  Perhaps  he  can  do  more  for  you  in  heaven  than  here 
on  earth;  perhaps  his  powerful  intercession  before  the  throne  of 
Eternal  Mercy  will  benefit  priests  and  people  more  effectually 
than  his  presence  among  you,  and  enable  his  successor  to  take 
up  his  unfinished  work  and  complete  it.  He  was  planning  a 


BISHOP  McQTJ AID’S  APPRECIATION  585 

preparatory  seminary,  to  gather  within  its  class-rooms  the  pick 
of  the  diocese,  the  chosen  ones,  on  whom  the  hand  of  God  seemed 
to  rest,  and  by  special  care  to  prepare  them  for  the  seminary  at 
Dunwoodie;  and  thus  guaranteeing  a  priesthood  for  New  York 
unsurpassed  in  the  world,  with  an  influence  to  be  felt  by  the 
entire  nation. 

“Pray  pardon  the  coldness  of  my  language,  for  I  have  not 
dared  let  my  heart  speak.  To  no  one  has  the  death  of  the  Ai  ell- 
bishop  brought  more  sorrow  than  to  me.  He  was  to  me  and  to 
all  his  suffragans  a  most  brotherly  prelate,  always  patient  and 
helpful.  To  me  in  particular,  who  watched  his  career  from  his 
boyhood  to  the  closing  of  his  life,  he  lived  the  life  of  a  saint,  and 
died  the  death  of  a  saint.” 


The  Lady  Chapel,  St.  Patrick’s 


CHAPTER  XL 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 

IN  the  closing  chapters  of  this  his¬ 
tory  we  may  pause  awhile  to  com¬ 
pare  the  conditions  of  the  Church  in 
New  York  when  the  nineteenth  cen¬ 
tury  began  with  the  remarkable  con¬ 
ditions  of  the  present  moment.  The 
contrast  is  so  profound  that  no  one  can 
fail  to  be  affected  by  it.  Not  only 
was  the  Church  feebler  than  any  ob¬ 
scure  sect,  when  John  Carroll  was 
made  Bishop  of  Baltimore,  but  in  the 
common  mind  it  was  destined  so  to 
remain.  Wise  men  had  every  reason 
to  feel  that  the  Church,  driven  out  of  northern  Europe  by  Luther 
and  Henry  VIII,  and  thrown  into  terrible  confusion  by  the  Revo¬ 
lution  in  the  Latin  countries,  was  in  its  agony,  and  could  not  put 
forth  a  new  effort  in  the  land  which  cherished  a  new  freedom. 
Genial  contempt  was  the  feeling  of  the  cultured;  a  dying  sect  could 
be  permitted  to  lengthen  its  own  parting.  The  common  people 
nourished  a  sterner  feeling,  since  they  suspected  the  subtle  en¬ 
chantment  of  the  thing  they  called  Romanism.  Wherefore,  the 
aristocracy  of  the  time  treated  Archbishop  Carroll  with  courtesy, 
and  the  common  class  regarded  him  with  hatred;  and  he  fulfilled 
his  career  with  patience,  working  in  caution  and  silence,  although 

he  loved  his  country  with  the  devotion  which  desired  for  her  the 

(686) 


Maj.-Gen.  John  Newton 


Right  Reverend  Thomas  Cusack 


s 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


587 


gift  of  the  faith.  He  lived  and  died  in  a  glorious  obscurity ;  ob¬ 
scure,  because  the  Church  seemed  losing  everywhere,  and  in 
America  had  no  place  or  value;  glorious,  because  he  founded  a 
new  career  for  the  Church  in  the  West,  and  indeed  in  the  whole 
world.  For  it  will  be  found,  I  think,  at  a  later  day,  that  the  rise  of 
the  Church  in  America  reacted  on  the  entire  organization,  and 
marked  the  beginning  of  a  new  period  of  activity  and  success. 

The  twentieth  century  opens  upon  quite  another  scene:  the 
metropolis  of  the  Continent  dominated  by  the  ancient  faith,  which 
has  revived  itself  in  all  countries  besides.  The  revolution  is 
still  fighting  in  the  Latin  countries,  but  it  has  lost  its  first  vigor; 
the  hierarchies  of  North  Europe  have  all  been  reestablished; 
and  in  the  United  States  the  Catholics  number  fifteen  millions, 
well-organized,  respected,  faithful,  and  rapidly  becoming  con¬ 
scious  of  their  own  splendid  powers.  Nowhere  does  the  Church 
stand  so  well  as  in  the  city  of  New  York,  which  is  a  candle-stick 
that  would  give  the  feeblest  light  prominence.  It  is  the  greatest 
religious  force  in  the  metropolis.  The  leaders  know  clearly 
what  it  stands  for,  whether  they  appreciate  its  presence  or  not. 
Apart  from  its  particular  doctrines,  from  which  its  policy  is  mostly 
formed,  that  policy  affects  beneficently  the  course  of  the  Republic. 
It  stands  for  religion  in  each  human  life.  Therefore  has  it 
opposed  with  vigorous  candor  the  advance  of  Indifferentism  and 
Agnosticism  in  American  life;  the  two  enemies  which  are  sapping 
the  religious  life  of  the  people  in  this  country,  Agnosticism  with¬ 
out  and  Indifferentism  within.  It  stands  for  religion  in  educa¬ 
tion.  The  frightful  ignorance,  prejudice,  malice,  or  indifference, 
which  has  surrendered  the  training  of  the  children  to  Agnostic 
methods,  has  been  met  by  protest  and  by  the  building  of  a  church- 
school  system,  whose  fruits  already  shame  the  dry-rotten  pro¬ 
duct  of  mere  intellectualism. 


588  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


It  stands  for  the  indissoluble  marriage.  Even  the  pagan 
nations  knew  that  they  could  not  continue  without  a  stable  family 
unit,  whose  stability  depended  on  the  strength  of  the  marriage 
tie.  The  divorce  evil  has  not  so  much  as  stained  the  garments 
of  the  Catholic  people  of  America.  It  stands  for  the  civil  order. 
The  principles  which  the  Republic  embodies  gave  the  Church 
that  liberty  from  which  ungrateful  Europe  shut  her  out.  Under 
them  she  has  grown  to  her  present  strength.  Gratitude  alone 
would  make  her  faithful  to  the  civil  order,  if  her  principles  did 
not  demand  that  fidelity.  She  marshals  her  people  against  the 
errors  that  would  destroy  American  liberty,  such  as  the  Com¬ 
munism  and  Socialism  too  often  voiced  by  rash  citizens.  The 
practical  leaders  of  our  government  know  that  the  Church  stands 
for  this  policy,  and  that  they  have  for  times  of  trouble  a  sure 
rampart  in  Catholic  citizens,  in  the  inevitable  storms  a  fine  anchor¬ 
age  in  Catholic  principles.  What  a  position  to  have  attained  in  a 
single  century!  How  could  it  have  been  won  and  held  in  our 
skeptical  age,  if  the  Church  were  not  what  she  claims  and  appears 
to  be,  if  her  children  had  not  been  doers  of  the  word,  not  merely 
hearers.  All  kinds  of  criticism  are  passed  upon  the  churchmen 
of  New  York,  some  of  it  undoubtedly  deserved;  but  this  fact 
remains  when  all  has  been  said,  that  the  Church  in  America  is 
worthy  of  her  locality,  and  the  diocese  of  New  York  is  a  splendid 
representative  of  the  Church  in  America. 

The  expression  of  the  quality  and  power  of  a  local  Church, 
of  a  diocese  let  us  say,  depends  largely  upon  its  leaders,  and  par¬ 
ticularly  upon  its  bishops.  Archbishop  Hughes  gave  a  clear 
utterance  to  his  own  time  and  its  particular  necessities  and 
achievements;  and  beside  him  stood  Brownson  the  philosopher, 
Mullaly  the  journalist,  McMaster  the  fierce  censor,  the  gentle 
and  powerful  Hecker,  the  sublime  victim  of  faith,  Silliman  Ives; 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


589 


and  behind  him  the  silent  band  of  workers  in  every  department, 
who  laid  foundations  with  their  own  hands  and  left  no  name  to 
history.  The  diocese  found  its  expression  in  Dr.  Hughes,  pioneer 
and  administrator.  Its  second  expression  came  through  Cardi¬ 
nal  McCloskey,  whose  brilliant  career  brought  it  before  the  world. 
Dr.  Corrigan  provided  its  third  expression  in  the  system  which 
he  introduced  for  its  better  government,  and  in  the  splendid 
structures  for  worship,  charity,  and  education  erected  with  his 
initiative  or  support.  These  three  prelates  came  to  New  York 
upon  the  recommendation  of  the  bishops  alone,  who  nominated 
them  for  the  consideration  of  the  Holy  See.  Meanwhile  the 
method  of  nominating  bishops  had  changed.  The  Third  Plenary 
Council  of  Baltimore,  with  the  consent  of  the  Pope,  had  formu¬ 
lated  a  new  method.  Three  factors  appeared  in  it,  two  canoni¬ 
cal  and  one  informal;  first,  nomination  by  the  bishops  of  the 
province  in  which  was  the  vacant  See;  second,  nomination  by 
the  diocesan  council  acting  with  the  irremovable  rectors;  and 
third,  the  recommendation  or  approval  of  the  archbishops  of  the 
country.  This  was  the  method  used  in  securing  a  successor  to 
Archbishop  Corrigan.  The  bishops  of  the  province  met  and 
selected  three  names  to  be  sent  to  Rome  for  the  Pope’s  considera¬ 
tion.  The  name  of  John  Farley,  auxiliary  bishop  of  New  York, 
headed  the  list.  The  diocesan  council  and  the  rectors  placed  his 
name  first  on  their  list  by  a  majority  vote  which  was  made  unani¬ 
mous.  The  archbishops  in  their  advisory  letters  declared  in  his 
favor.  The  Pope  named  him  Archbishop  of  New  York,  and  he 
took  possession  of  the  See  on  October  5,  1902;  the  pallium  did 
not  arrive  until  the  next  year,  and  he  was  invested  with  it  by  the 
Apostolic  Delegate,  Archbishop  Falconio,  in  St.  Patrick’s  Cathe¬ 
dral  on  August  12,  1903,  shortly  before  the  death  of  Leo  XIII. 

The  new  prelate  was  born  in  Ireland  in  the  year  1842,  came 


590  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


to  this  country  in  his  youth,  and  was  ordained  a  priest  after  study 
in  Rome  in  1870.  Shortly  after  his  ordination  he  received  the 
appointment  of  secretary  to  Archbishop  McCloskey,  a  position 
in  which  for  a  decade  he  could  study  the  art  of  diocesan  adminis¬ 
tration,  become  familiar  with  the  diocese,  make  friends,  and 
otherwise  fit  himself  for  the  work  of  the  future.  Some  years 
later  he  was  named  pastor  of  St.  Gabriel’s  parish,  an  important 
position  in  which  he  learned  the  art  and  the  problems  of  local 
administration;  two  things  that  every  bishop  should  know,  so 
as  to  be  in  perfect  sympathy  with  the  priests  who  must  carry 
out  the  scheme  of  labor  and  pay  the  bills.  As  much  as  he  learned 
in  the  position  of  secretary,  as  pastor  he  learned  very  much  more. 
He  was  invited  by  Archbishop  Corrigan  to  take  a  seat  in  his  coun¬ 
cil.  Here  he  proved  both  useful  and  tactful,  and  held  the  position 
for  many  years.  He  was  fortunate  in  having  certain  convic¬ 
tions  and  also  in  having  many  friends.  The  former  led  him 
to  do  many  fine  things,  such  as  gently  deprecating  harsh  measures 
for  Dr.  McGlynn,  and  standing  up  for  the  discipline  of  the 
Washington  University.  Although  these  matters  brought  him 
criticism,  they  also  revealed  the  fact  that  he  had  many  friends. 

Perhaps  unconsciously,  he  had  become  the  representative  of 
the  Cardinal’s  administration,  the  mediator  between  the  old  and 
the  new,  and  had  helped  to  smooth  the  first  difficulties  of  the  new 
administration.  He  was  a  faithful  councillor  to  Dr.  Corrigan, 
courteous  and  somewhat  impassive,  but  none  too  flattering.  He 
believed  in  supporting  authority  generously,  and  gave  his  whole 
support  to  all  fair  and  useful  measures.  His  rise  was  steady, 
usually  unexpected,  yet  not  astonishing,  until  it  began  to  dawn 
upon  the  prophets  that  he  might  be  the  inevitable  man.  He  was 
made  vicar-general  upon  the  death  of  Monsignor  Preston,  next  a 
domestic  prelate  of  the  Pope,  finally  the  auxiliary  bishop  in  the 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


591 


diocese,  although  the  general  expectation  had  named  other  and 
apparently  more  promising  candidates  for  these  honorable  but 
uncertain  positions.  His  course  through  the  administration  of 
Dr.  Corrigan  had  been  one  of  conciliation,  that  is,  the  course 
which  appeals  to  good  sense.  Trained  in  the  methods  of  the 
Cardinal,  who  had  the  statesmanlike  habit  of  letting  trouble 
alone  until  it  insisted  on  attention,  and  was  altogether  a  very 
shrewd  administrator  with  all  his  quiet  ways,  Dr.  Farley  advo¬ 
cated  peaceful  methods  at  every  stage.  In  all  the  thorny  prob¬ 
lems  of  the  time  he  deprecated  too  lively  action.  His  critics 
found  fault  with  his  apparently  old-fashioned  methods.  The 
outcome  justified  his  behavior  however.  'His  warning  against  the 
methods  used  upon  Dr.  McGlynn  looked  like  the  wisdom  of  the 
ages  when  Delegate  Satolli  removed  the  ban  from  the  former 
rector  of  St.  Stephen’s. 

His  kindly  attitude  to  the  first  Delegate  helped  to  bring  about 
a  better  understanding  with  His  Excellency  the  year  after  his 
arrival,  and  to  put  an  end  to  journalistic  bickering.  He  took 
a  stand  in  behalf  of  the  Washington  University  at  a  crisis  in  its 
fortunes,  and  maintained  it  to  the  end.  On  the  question  of 
education  he  could  be  called  an  enthusiast,  but  he  maintained 
the  Catholic  standard,  studied  the  compromise  idea  conscien¬ 
tiously,  and  gave  his  support  to  safe  and  just  conclusions.  His 
temperament  never  inclined  to  enthusiasm,  but  he  could  listen 
to  enthusiasts  and  later  use  their  ideas  or  them  for  useful  enter¬ 
prises.  He  had  the  American  temper  rather  than  the  Irish, 
because  of  his  training  perhaps,  and  in  most  things  he  followed 
American  methods;  except  with  regard  to  time,  in  the  use  of 
which  he  remained  a  perfect  European,  giving  to  each  enter¬ 
prise  as  much  time  as  it  needed.  The  answer  to  all  criticism  of 
his  previous  career  is  that  at  the  critical  moment  he  was  the  only 


592  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


candidate  for  the  See  upon  whom  all  could  agree;  in  a  word  he 
was  the  inevitable  man.  He  was  welcomed  to  the  honor  by  his 
friends  and  received  without  alarm  by  the  rest  of  the  world,  which 
would  have  preferred  to  see  another  Hughes  at  the  head  of  the 
most  brilliant  and  powerful  diocese  of  the  Continent,  but  knew 
at  the  same  time  that  a  Hughes  might  not  suit  present  tempers, 
were  his  kind  plentiful. 

Hughes  came  from  Philadelphia,  an  unwelcome  bishop  to 
New  York;  McCloskey  came  from  Albany,  known,  acceptable, 
and  grandly  welcomed;  Corrigan  came  from  Newark,  respected 
for  his  character  and  his  reputation  for  learning,  welcomed  also 
with  a  little  reserve;  and  their  successor,  being  on  the  ground 
already,  was  welcomed  with  a  feeling  of  curiosity  as  to  how  he 
would  govern.  In  the  next  chapter  an  account  is  given  of  the 
leading  events  in  which  he  has  figured  since  1902;  in  this  it  will 
be  sufficient  to  describe  the  officials  by  whom  he  surrounded 
himself  for  the  effective  administration  of  the  diocese.  None  of 
his  predecessors  had  his  opportunity  for  making  the  right  choice, 
as  his  knowledge  of  the  clergy  sprang  from  intimate  acquaintance 
with  them  for  a  quarter  century.  They  had  changed  in  character 
very  much  in  that  time.  Although  the  product  of  Montreal, 
Baltimore,  Emmettsburgh,  Troy,  and  Rome,  and  of  all  nation¬ 
alities,  they  had  finally  accepted  the  American  mould  and  the 
stamp  of  New  York.  The  environment  overpowered  even  the 
most  stubborn  foreigner,  for  America  and  its  metropolis  had 
together  grown  great  in  the  esteem  of  men.  They  became  proud 
of  their  city,  and  so  fell  in  love  with  it  that  for  them  the  country 
without  became  a  wilderness.  One  of  the  minor  difficulties  of 
administration  of  the  diocese  is  the  reluctance  to  work  in  the 
country  mission.  As  a  body  the  New  York  clergy  are  too  wedded 
to  routine  to  be  original.  They  prefer  the  well-trodden  way  to 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


593 


the  new  path,  although  the  city  conditions  demand  new  methods 
every  year.  Ecclesiastics  as  a  rule  are  shy  men,  and,  therefore, 
unwilling  to  attempt  new  things;  partly  because  of  their  exclusive 
training,  and  partly  because  criticism  of  their  own  class  is  imme¬ 
diate  and  candid.  This  clerical  shyness  is  strong  in  New  York, 
where  a  singular  appearance  on  so  great  a  stage  causes  wide¬ 
spread  comment. 

Intellectually  they  have  advanced  with  the  advance  in  their 
seminary  and  college  training,  but  study  and  reading  have  only 
a  secondary  place  in  their  activities.  They  permitted  Brownson 
to  wither  away,  and  turned  all  their  journalists  into  secular  ser¬ 
vice  twenty  years  ago ;  and  to-day  they  have  repeated  the  neglect 
by  allowing  the  Catholic  press  in  New  York,  books  and  journals, 
to  sink  into  insignificance,  Catholic  writers  now  devoting  themselves 
to  secular  work.  Their  strongest  feature  is  parish  administra¬ 
tion,  in  which  they  have  had  success.  It  was  an  immense  labor, 
accomplished  in  a  short  time,  and  so  absorbed  them  as  to  shut 
out  the  view  of  other  good  works.  In  building  up  the  school 
system  they  were  slower  than  less  important  dioceses,  and  less 
interested.  For  a  long  time  they  remained  utterly  parochial  in 
their  habits  of  thought,  quite  unconscious  of  their  power  and 
opportunity,  and  hardly  to  be  convinced  of  it  by  neighborly  criti¬ 
cism.  When  the  Leonine  University  went  to  Washington  instead 
of  to  New  York,  a  few  arose  to  the  situation,  and  in  time  erected 
Dunwoodie  Seminary.  They  are  fair  preachers  as  to  elocution 
and  readiness,  but  markedly  innocent  of  the  modern  point  of 
view.  Except  that  their  sermons  are  shorter  one  might  imagine 
them  the  same  sermons  preached  fifty  years  ago.  They  are 
still  remote  from  the  present  world,  and  very  remote  from  the 
non-Catholic  millions;  a  common  condition  of  all  the  clergy,  but 
more  striking  in  New  York,  where  there  are  no  barriers  of  con- 


594  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


vention  and  prejudice  to  be  removed.  Yet,  in  a  way,  they  are 
broad-minded,  by  instinct  rather  than  by  study  and  development. 
Their  temperament  makes  them  purely  and  simply  priests  of  the 
parish  or  mission  with  hardly  a  thought  outside  that  circle.  These 
are  their  limitations,  which  should  be  joined  with  the  fact  illus¬ 
trated  in  this  history :  they  are  maintaining  capably  the  work 
built  up  by  their  predecessors,  and  are  adding  to  it  on  a  respect¬ 
able  scale. 

It  will  prove  interesting  to  see  the  character  of  the  priests 
whom  Archbishop  Farley  selected  from  this  body  to  advise  and 
aid  him  in  his  administration.  Monsignor  Joseph  Mooney  was 
made  vicar-general,  a  priest  of  the  distinctly  American  type  and 
temperament,  who  had  mounted  through  all  the  grades  to  this 
position  under  Archbishop  Corrigan,  and  in  the  different  offices 
of  seminary  director,  pastor,  chancellor,  and  vicar-general,  had 
displayed  the  fine  qualities  of  the  administrator  along  with  the 
finer  qualities  of  the  gentleman. 

To  be  of  the  American  type  and  temperament  does  not  mean 
to-day  Puritan  stock,  native  birth,  or  English  descent.  In  fact, 
too  many  of  those  possessing  such  a  birthright  have  completely 
lost  the  American  temperament  to  the  worst  form  of  aristocratic 
feeling;  scorn  of  any  but  their  own  blood.  Some  of  the  finest 
Americans  are  persons  who  in  their  adult  age  passed  from  the 
exclusiveness  of  Europe  to  the  generous  liberty  of  the  Republic, 
and  were  entranced  by  the  change.  Monsignor  Mooney  is  un¬ 
prejudiced,  unbound  by  family  or  other  traditions,  sympathetic, 
sincere,  and  fair  to  all  men.  His  capacity  as  an  administrator 
is  matched  by  a  courtesy  that  springs  from  the  heart.  The  qual¬ 
ity  which  made  him  known  to  the  public  is  eloquence,  of  the 
serious  and  formal  style,  not  flexible,  not  able  to  reflect  his  own 
lighter  moods,  but  effective,  dignified,  and  worthy  in  matter  and 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY  595 

delivery  of  the  pulpit  or  the  platform.  His  career  was  varied 
enough  to  keep  him  far  from  routine,  to  bring  him  into  touch 
with  the  needs  and  the  problems  of  the  time.  He  is,  therefore, 
a  representative  man,  able  to  advise,  to  administer,  to  understand, 
and  at  the  same  time,  which  with  us  is  most  important,  to  give 
voice  to  popular  feeling  and  conviction  in  polished  and  fervent 

language. 

Rev.  Michael  J.  Lavelle  was  selected  by  the  Archbishop 
as  the  junior  vicar-general.  Almost  the  same  description  might 
be  given  of  him  as  of  his  associate,  except  that  the  difference  of 
a  decade  lies  between  them,  which  in  America  means  as  much 
as  a  generation.  He  was  ordained  in  1879,  at  the  opening  of 
what  was  to  prove  a  new  period  for  the  city  and  the  church.  As 
assistant  and  rector  of  the  Cathedral  he  saw  intimately  the  admin¬ 
istration  of  Dr.  Corrigan,  the  solution  of  its  problems,  the  passing 
of  its  personages.  As  a  native  of  New  York  he  followed  closely 
its  wonderful  development.  The  spirit  of  the  time,  which  was 
one  of  vigorous  progress,  affected  him,  and  unconsciously  at 
first  he  kept  pace  with  it.  A  well-read  man  and  a  fluent  speaker, 
though  lacking  the  finer  graces  of  elocution,  he  could  give 
voice  to  an  occasion  or  an  emotion  in  a  very  effective  way. 
A  tireless  worker  himself  he  had  also  the  ability  to  interest  and 
hold  others  in  a  particular  labor.  Besides  his  office  as  rector 
he  helped  along  the  national  and  local  unions  of  young  men, 
aided  the  general  works  of  the  diocese,  and  built  up  to  success 
the  Champlain  Summer  School,  which  represented  an  idea  most 
repugnant  to  New  York  routine,  and  proved  to  be  a  most  trying 
ordeal,  between  local  scorn  and  general  indifference.  In  becom¬ 
ing  vicar-general,  he  passed  into  an  office  which  informally  he 
had  often  filled.  A  year  later  he  was  made  a  domestic  prelate, 
and  at  the  celebration  of  his  silver  jubilee  in  1904  a  splendid 


596  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


gathering  of  the  clergy  and  laity  bore  witness  to  the  general  good¬ 
will  in  his  regard. 

Rt.  Rev.  John  Edwards  was  made  vicar-general  for  the  female 
religious  communities.  The  age  of  threescore  and  ten  found 
this  prelate  as  active  and  vigorous  as  a  man  of  thirty-five,  and 
mentally  as  flexible.  Constant  association  with  men  of  all  classes 
and  with  the  problems  of  administration  for  forty  years,  left  him 
without  a  single  prejudice  peculiar  to  old  age.  He  brought  to 
each  question  little  or  no  pre-judgment  from  past  experience,  except 
a  pessimism  which  did  not  affect  his  activity.  He  was  also  of 
the  American  type  and  temperament,  generous  in  his  views  and 
charitable  in  their  expression.  Archbishop  Farley  and  his  three 
vicars  had  worked  together  for  the  diocese  many  years,  under¬ 
stood  one  another,  and  entertained  a  common  esteem  and 
affection.  On  all  grounds  their  appointment  showed  sound  judg¬ 
ment  and  argued  well  for  future  work.  Into  this  circle  a  compar¬ 
ative  stranger  entered  in  the  person  of  Rt.  Rev  Thomas  Cusack, 
chosen  by  the  Archbishop  as  his  auxiliary  bishop,  a  position 
which  gave  him  a  large  influence  in  the  diocese.  As  assistant 
and  rector,  and  particularly  as  the  head  of  the  missionary  band 
for  non-Catholics,  Bishop  Cusack  had  a  valuable  experience, 
and  revealed  at  the  same  time  a  charming  personality.  A  fine 
personal  appearance,  an  agreeable  manner,  and  a  sincere  zeal 
gave  emphasis  to  the  quality  strongest  in  him,  that  of  the  priest¬ 
hood.  He  impresses  all  as  the  priest.  While  his  appointment 
was  a  matter  of  astonishment,  as  his  name  had  not  been  mentioned 
as  a  possible  candidate,  there  was  no  sense  of  disappointment. 

The  remaining  members  of  the  Archbishop’s  council,  holding 
office  at  one  time  or  another,  were  Revs.  Charles  Colton,  Charles 
Corley,  James  Flood,  and  James  McGean.  Father  Colton 
became  the  Bishop  of  Buffalo.  In  New  York  he  made  the  rep- 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


597 


utation  of  a  capable,  gentle,  self-sacrificing  priest,  who  worked 
day  and  night  for  parish  and  diocese.  Father  Corley  remained 
only  a  short  time  in  the  council,  making  way  for  Bishop 
Cusack.  He  is  a  man  of  refinement,  who  carried  into  the  work 
of  the  priesthood  the  gentle  manners  and  refined  taste  peculiar 
to  himself.  IVIonsignor  JMcGean,  rector  of  St.  Peter  s,  stands 
as  the  type  of  the  American  parish  priest  in  the  metropolis; 
which  means  that  his  parish  is  well-administered  in  the  modern 
fashion,  having  everything  worth  having,  and  some  qualities 
peculiar  to  itself;  that  he  is  a  polished  talker  in  the  pulpit  and 
at  a  public  ceremony,  a  genial  conversationalist  anywhere;  that 
he  is  a  lover  of  books  both  for  their  matter  and  their  binding; 
also  well-acquainted  with  the  city  and  the  country  and  therefore 
somewhat  of  a  conservative;  and  well-fitted  to  deal  with  the  world. 
He  was  made  a  domestic  prelate  in  1904,  and  his  long  experience 
through  the  administrations  of  McCloskey  and  Corrigan  fitted 
him  for  his  place  in  the  council.  Father  Flood,  the  rector  of 
St.  John  the  Evangelist,  though  holding  a  quiet  place  in  the 
general  world,  earned  a  name  for  business  ability  and  resource¬ 
fulness,  which  shortly  placed  him  at  the  council-board.  He 
erected  a  remarkably  beautiful  church  and  built  up  a  good 
parish,  but  found  time  to  help  along  many  good  movements. 
He  supported  the  temperance  movement  and  fought  the  expan¬ 
sion  of  the  saloon;  he  assisted  Catholic  teachers  to  positions  and 
hit  hard  at  prejudice  in  the  city’s  educational  department;  he 
took  a  personal  interest  in  finding  a  career  for  struggling  converts, 
and  in  all  the  diocesan  works  took  a  share  of  the  labor,  showing 
a  practical  mind,  a  generous  disposition,  an  honorable  temper, 
and  financial  ability.  In  particular,  the  diocesan  council,  as 
formed  by  Archbishop  Farley,  showed  not  merely  technichal  ability 
for  its  work,  but  largeness  of  character  in  its  members,  for  the 


598  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

lack  of  which  a  council  sometimes  does  strange  and  wonderful 
things. 

In  the  winter  of  1904,  the  Archbishop  visited  Rome  and  en¬ 
joyed  a  peculiar  and  important  interview  with  the  new  Pope, 
Pius  X.  Prom  His  Holiness  he  obtained  honors  for  various 
priests  of  his  diocese,  who  were  made  prelates  of  the  papal  house¬ 
hold.  Their  elevation  gave  great  pleasure  to  the  clergy  and 
laity,  as  all  were  representative  men.  Never  before  had  the 
honor  of  the  purple  descended  so  generously  upon  a  single 
diocese.  It  was  wittily  said  of  Archbishop  Farley  that  by  this 
act  he  had  made  one-half  his  clergy  purple  and  the  other 
half  blue.  Of  Monsignori  Lavelle  and  McGean  this  history 
has  already  spoken;  among  the  others  Monsignor  Patrick  Mc- 
Sweeny  easily  held  the  first  place  by  his  age  and  his  personality. 
His  long  and  honorable  career  had  been  crowned  with  a  double 
dignity.  In  selecting  the  three  names  to  be  sent  to  Rome  as 
candidates  for  the  vacant  See,  the  clergy  placed  him  third  on  the 
list  as  a  mark  of  their  esteem  and  confidence.  It  was  also  a  token 
of  the  unity  of  the  household.  He  had  often  taken  his  place  in 
what  might  be  called  the  opposition,  not  through  scorn  of  authority, 
but  for  practical  and  praiseworthy  motives;  and  as  in  earlier  days, 
opposition  and  criticism  looked  to  a  simple  people  like  heresy  and 
rebellion  rather  than  good  sense  and  the  proper  exercise  of  indi¬ 
vidual  judgment,  he  was  forced  to  endure  disfavor  in  its  various 
forms.  Clothed  with  the  tribute  of  a  place  on  the  terna  and  with 
the  purple  of  the  papal  household,  his  old  age  shone  before  men; 
but  the  external  glory  barely  indicated  the  upright  and  consistent 
nature  within. 

Rt.  Rev.  John  Kearney,  rector  of  St.  Patrick’s,  stood  next 
to  him  in  age  and  honor.  His  name  has  more  than  once  graced 
these  pages,  for  his  career  began  about  the  time  Archbishop 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


599 


Hughes  was  buried  from  the  old  Cathedral.  The  energy,  deter¬ 
mination,  originality  of  his  youth  and  maturity,  he  carried  into  his 
seventh  decade,  along  with  the  sound  health  and  salty  humor 
with  which  nature  early  endowed  him.  Monsignor  Charles 
McCready,  rector  of  Holy  Cross,  enjoyed  a  position  of  singular 
influence  in  the  metropolis,  due  both  to  his  character  and  his 
career.  As  pastor  of  an  important  parish  he  had  won  success 
in  its  administration,  by  his  care  of  the  Church,  which  he  rebuilt 
and  decorated  with  tasteful  splendor,  by  his  care  of  the  children, 
for  whom  he  erected  handsome  school  buildings,  and  by  his 
direction  of  the  treasury  which  removed  the  debt  and  carried 
the  annual  expense.  A  student  of  the  famous  Maynooth  and  a 
graduate  of  Mount  St.  Mary’s,  he  possessed  the  literary  faculty 
and  taste,  which  made  him  the  friend  and  patron  of  the  strug¬ 
gling  Catholic  writers  and  journalists  in  New  York.  He  rendered 
them  assistance  and  encouragement.  It  was  his  delight  to  exer¬ 
cise  the  old-time  hospitality  to  the  clergy  of  the  country  and  of 
his  native  Ireland;  so  that  his  house  became  noted  in  both  coun¬ 
tries  and  his  many  favors  to  the  needy  earned  for  him  praise  and 
gratitude.  Naturally  he  fell  into  the  position  of  helper  and 
adviser  to  his  own  people  both  here  and  abroad.  It  was  a  posi¬ 
tion  that  taxed  both  temper  and  generosity,  but  he  held  it  with¬ 
out  seeming  effort.  An  American  in  views  and  sympathy,  and 
in  the  expression  of  both,  he  held  the  middle  place  in  the  trying 
times  of  the  McGlynn  affair,  and  could  thus  act  as  a  mediator 
for  both  parties,  his  moderate  views  and  just  temper  being  so 
well  known.  In  a  word  he  proved  himself  a  thoroughly  repre¬ 
sentative  man,  and  it  is  to  such  men  that  society  turns  for  help 
and  advice  when  things  get  tangled. 

Monsignor  C.  G.  O’Keefe,  the  rector  of  West  Point,  also  held 
a  position  of  singular  influence,  both  by  his  character  and  by  the 


600  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


incidents  of  his  career.  As  a  student  of  theology  in  Rome,  he 
made  the  acquaintance  of  a  group  of  ecclesiastics  who  afterwards 
became  the  foremost  dignitaries  of  the  Church  in  Rome  and 
Italy;  as  the  personal  friend  of  Dr.  McGlynn  he  stood  by  him  in 
his  difficulties,  although  without  sympathy  for  his  political  and 
social  doctrines;  as  the  pastor  of  West  Point,  he  held  charming 
personal  relations  with  the  army  officers;  as  the  friend  of  Arch¬ 
bishop  Corrigan  he  accepted  the  task  of  establishing  the  mission 
in  the  Bahamas  at  the  capital,  Nassau;  as  the  friend  of  Arch¬ 
bishop  Satolli,  Delegate  Apostolic  in  this  country  for  some  years, 
he  had  the  honor  of  aiding  him  in  the  accomplishment  of  his 
mission;  and  for  some  years  he  was  the  assistant  of  Archbishop 
Farley  in  St.  Gabriel’s.  The  use  which  he  made  of  his  oppor¬ 
tunities  has  already  been  described  in  the  story  of  the  Church  at 
West  Point  and  in  the  account  of  Dr.  McGlynn.  Ill  health  alone 
has  prevented  him  from  rising  to  the  very  highest  honors;  but 
as  he  is  still  young,  full  of  energy,  gifted  with  tact  and  discretion, 
his  career  has  hardly  reached  its  climax.  Monsignor  McKenna, 
rector  of  St.  Raymond’s,  has  been  for  years  the  intimate  friend  of 
the  Archbishop,  whom  his  advice,  encouragement  and  approba¬ 
tion  often  strengthened  and  consoled  in  the  labors  of  the  mission. 
Monsignor  Richard  Burtsell,  whose  name  has  already  been  men¬ 
tioned  and  his  character  described,  was  honored  with  the  purple 
in  1905,  while  on  a  visit  to  Rome.  Archbishop  Farley  asked 
for  him  the  honor  through  his  auxiliary,  Bishop  Cusack,  and  the 
granting  of  it  gave  immense  satisfaction  to  the  whole  diocese, 
as  marking  the  end  of  a  disagreeable  episode  and  testifying  to 
the  general  esteem  for  his  fine  character  and  consistent  career. 

The  position  of  chancellor  of  the  diocese  and  rector  of  the 
Cathedral  College  was  given  to  Rev.  Patrick  Hayes,  of  the  younger 
group  of  the  clergy.  Either  office  is  sufficient  to  test  the  mettle 


ARCHBISHOP  FARLEY 


601 


of  a  clever  man.  The  industry,  courtesy,  and  even  temper  with 
which  both  offices  have  been  administered  since  their  incumbent 
took  them  up  is  sufficient  indication  of  the  character  of  the  chan¬ 
cellor.  The  superintendency  of  charities  remained  in  the  charge 
of  Dr.  Denis  McMahon,  the  rector  of  the  Epiphany,  whose  work 
in  the  charity  department  has  already  been  described,  who  also 
administers  his  parish  carefully,  and  finds  time  to  further  the 
interest  of  the  Champlain  Summer  School,  as  its  president.  Dr. 
Gerardo  Ferrante  remained  in  the  position  of  consulting  canonist, 
lawyer,  and  judge  of  the  matrimonial  court,  where  his  legal  ability 
and  experience  have  been  of  great  assistance,  both  in  the  settle¬ 
ment  of  cases  and  in  the  enunciation  of  general  principles  suited 
to  American  conditions.  Rev.  James  Lewis  was  appointed  to 
the  responsible  and  difficult  position  of  secretary  to  the  Arch¬ 
bishop,  and  has  held  it  meritoriously  for  the  past  three  years. 
The  introduction  of  the  Gregorian  chant  into  the  diocese  led 
to  the  formation  of  a  music  commission,  with  the  object  of  examin¬ 
ing  conditions  and  gradually  preparing  the  way  for  a  thorough 
reform  in  church  music.  As  secretary  of  this  commission  was 
placed  Rev.  John  J.  Kean,  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Name,  and  eminent  in  the  diocese  for  the  fine  qualities  which  go 
to  form  the  true  priest.  Such,  in  brief  are  the  men  by  whom  the 
Archbishop  surrounded  himself  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on 
the  work  of  the  diocese,  and  also  to  set  high  the  example  of  honor 
and  achievement. 

They  are  all  living  at  this  writing.  Therefore  their  praise 
must  be  left  to  those  whom  they  serve  faithfully.  Men  of  similar 
character  occupy  the  committees  on  schools  and  examinations. 
The  aim  of  all  is  sincere  and  fruitful  work  for  the  people,  foi  the 
Church,  for  society.  The  nature  of  that  work  can  best  be  judged 
by  reading  the  next  and  final  chapter  of  this  history.  One  tend- 


602  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


ency  with  regard  to  the  diocesan  administration  has  been  appar¬ 
ent  since  1880;  to  imitate  as  closely  as  may  be  military  method  in 
discipline,  so  as  to  get  the  military  efficiency.  In  this  country 
so  much  is  left  to  the  ecclesiastical  superiors  and  so  little  to  the 
law  that  a  prelate  of  military  genius  could  easily  introduce  a  mili¬ 
tary  discipline.  This  tendency  no  longer  springs  from  abso¬ 
lutism,  which  the  American  spirit  has  banished,  but  from  the 
desire  for  the  best  and  quickest  results.  Archbishop  Hughes 
was  an  absolute  ruler;  his  present  successor  could  be  as  absolute, 
but  he  prefers  the  milder  way,  which  means  the  best  men  in  the 
offices  and  all  of  them  working.  The  number  of  these  offices 
shows  how  complex  the  administration  has  become  since  the 
time  of  Hughes,  and  how  powerful  is  the  body  which  requires  this 
complexity. 


St.  John’s,  E.  55th  Street 


CHAPTER  XLI 


THE  EPILOGUE 


it  ii>  if ‘‘‘i- 


Thomas  Mulry 


'E  are  now  looking  at  history  in 
the  making,  so  near  are  we  to 
the  laboratory  of  events;  but  history, 
like  nature,  does  not  give  up  all  her 
secrets  to  the  microscope;  the  scientist 
gets  only  a  little  way  under  the  sur¬ 
face;  and  we  commoner  mortals  can 
see  only  the  surface,  part  of  it  at  a 
time,  often  detached,  unrelated,  decep¬ 
tive.  This  farewell  chapter  will  make 
no  attempt  at  history,  which  would  be 
impossible.  It  will  give  the  record  of 
significant  events,  to  illustrate  the  open¬ 
ing  of  the  new  administration,  to  give  a  hint  of  its  scope  and 
character,  to  suggest  what  its  future  will  be,  to  forecast  what  its 
historian  will  say  a  decade  after  it  has  closed.  Many  important 
affairs  engaged  the  attention  of  Archbishop  Farley  from  the 
moment  he  took  charge.  Each  one  had  its  history,  long  enough 
to  fill  a  chapter  by  itself.  Only  a  page  can  here  be  given  to 
half  a  score  of  the  more  prominent  matters.  The  Archbishop 
called  a  meeting  of  the  Italian  clergy  on  January  20,  1903,  for 
a  double  purpose:  to  put  the  work  for  the  Italian  immigrants  on 
the  best  possible  basis,  and  to  make  an  end  of  proselytizing 
among  them. 

His  speech  on  the  occasion  received  wide-spread  notice  from 

(603) 


604  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


the  journals.  He  characterized  the  work  of  the  Protestant  mis¬ 
sions  among  the  Italians  by  its  proper  name;  he  called  it  the  steal¬ 
ing  of  the  faith  from  the  innocent,  the  meanest  kind  of  robbery. 
The  direct  phrase  shocked  the  guilty  and  surprised  the  commu¬ 
nity,  which  had  rarely  heard,  since  1864,  direct  descriptive  phrases 
from  an  archbishop.  It  was  made  known  that  the  business  of 
stealing  the  faith  of  the  innocent,  under  the  guise  of  poor  schools, 
soup-kitchens,  and  other  bribes,  would  have  to  be  stopped.  The 
mean  hypocrisy  of  the  business  disgusted  the  decent;  for  here 
were  Protestants  falling  from  their  faith  by  the  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  in  the  city,  and  their  leaders  deserted  them  for  the  wretched 
joy  of  winning  a  few  Catholic  Italians  from  their  faith.  This  is  a 
precise  description  of  the  situation.  The  proselytizers  are  a  pecu¬ 
liar  set  of  people.  The  loss  of  their  own  backsliders  seems  to 
give  them  no  pang;  but  to  win  one  Catholic,  though  a  child,  to 
apostasy,  they  would  compass  earth  and  heaven.  The  discussion 
of  the  question  among  the  Italian  priests  had  immediate  and 
happy  results.  Measures  were  taken  to  safeguard  the  Italian 
people  from  their  enemies.  The  Rev.  D.  J.  McMahon  was  ap¬ 
pointed  to  direct  the  common  effort,  to  concert  plans,  to  keep  the 
movement  active  and  fruitful,  and  to  interest  the  entire  Italian 
body  in  their  own  welfare. 

As  the  immigration  from  Italy  had  assumed  proportions,  and 
seemed  to  grow  every  year,  it  was  evident  that  the  Italian  question 
would  long  be  a  grave  one  for  New  York.  The  Archbishop 
therefore  took  other  measures  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  later 
day.  The  old  seminary  in  Troy,  still  unsold  for  lack  of  a  bidder, 
was  turned  into  a  college  for  Italian  boys  and  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Salesian  Fathers,  members  of  Dom  Bosco’s  communitv 
in  Turin.  The  idea  was  to  cherish  vocations  for  the  priesthood 
among  the  Italians.  So  far  the  work  has  continued  with  promise 


THE  EPILOGUE 


605 


of  good  results  at  the  proper  time.  In  the  meantime  the  direct 
missionary  work  for  the  Italians  has  been  carried  on  with  vigor, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  and  the  determination  is  to  miss  no  point 
in  the  development  of  the  whole  scheme.  The  supreme  diffi¬ 
culty  seems  to  lie  in  the  indifference  of  the  people  themselves,  who 
act  as  if  the  Catholic  religion  did  not  exist  in  America  and  may 
be  dispensed  with  until  their  return  to  Italy.  In  the  former 
opinion  they  are  sustained  by  many  fervent  though  hardly  impor¬ 
tant  writers  of  France.  The  Countess  Annie  Leary,  upon  whom 
Leo  XIII  conferred  her  title  of  nobility  for  her  noble  charities, 
interested  herself  in  the  Italians,  and  established  an  art  academy 
for  the  teaching  of  such  arts  as  are  familiar  to  the  people  and 
likely  to  help  them  to  comfort  and  success. 

The  work  of  education  in  all  its  departments  was  carefully 
examined.  The  Dunwoodie  Seminary  first  received  attention.  A 
larger  demand  is  made  upon  our  seminaries  and  their  graduates 
than  was  thought  of  twenty-five  years  ago.  We  have  more  time 
and  money,  some  new  methods  and  easy  conditions;  there  is  less 
excuse  for  deficiencies  in  the  clergy;  and  the  people  within  and 
without  the  fold  have  conceived  such  a  respect  for  the  priest¬ 
hood  that  the  faulty  priest  shocks  their  sensibilities  and  their 
ideals.  Evidently  the  Archbishop  determined  that  the  product 
of  Dunwoodie  should  be  as  near  perfection  as  could  be  attained, 
and  that  the  faults  of  the  New  York  students  should  be  eradi¬ 
cated  with  all  speed.  He  desired  that  the  discipline  should  be 
strengthened  in  some  points,  and  the  study  of  preaching  be  made 
productive  of  the  very  best  results.  As  has  already  been  pointed 
out,  the  average  sermon  in  the  New  York  diocese,  while  of  fair 
quality  as  to  the  substance,  takes  no  account  of  the  modern  point 
of  view,  and  makes  no  appeal  to  the  people  of  to-day.  And  the 
clerical  student  of  the  city  is  generally  too  well  satisfied  with  his 


606  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


high  station  in  American  life,  birth  or  residence  in  the  metrop¬ 
olis,  to  strive  for  peculiar  excellence  in  the  pulpit.  Dunwoodie, 
besides  being  a  splendid  structure,  has  a  capable  faculty,  and  two 
or  three  remarkable  men  among  its  professors.  It  had  a  share 
in  the  publishing  of  a  homiletic  monthly,  which  won  attention 
and  praise  from  the  interested  public.  A  step  higher  was  taken 
when  the  seminary  undertook  to  publish  a  high-class  magazine, 
under  the  title  of  the  New  York  Review,  appearing  six  times  a 
year,  and  dealing  with  the  great  religious  and  scientific  questions 
of  the  time.  The  first  number  was  issued  in  June,  1905,  with  a 
fine  set  of  articles  and  many  superior  writers. 

Thus  by  the  introduction  of  a  few  significant  changes  and 
plans  the  diocesan  seminary  passes  from  the  rank  of  a  local  insti¬ 
tution  to  the  position  of  a  centre  of  thought  as  well  as  of  clerical 
training.  At  the  same  time  the  professors  get  opportunities  for 
wider  influence,  the  students  are  brought  closer  to  ideals,  the 
diocesan  clergy  look  up  to  the  seminary  as  to  a  light,  not  merely 
at  it  as  a  hazy  and  pleasant  memory.  It  will  be  a  noble  achieve¬ 
ment  if  Dunwoodie,  besides  sending  into  the  world  true  priests, 
can  make  them  preachers  of  sermons  that  grip  and  bite  by  the 
aptness  of  the  theme  and  the  beauty  of  the  English.  As  a  feeder 
to  the  seminary  the  Cathedral  College  was  opened  in  the  city  in 
September,  1903.  Archbishop  Corrigan  had  planned  for  this 
institution.  There  was  considerable  discussion  as  to  its  need  in 
the  scheme  of  clerical  education.  It  is  a  regular  feature  of  clerical 
education  in  France  and  other  parts  of  Europe.  Nearly  all  the 
Catholic  colleges  in  this  country  were  founded  on  its  model,  but 
circumstances  changed  their  first  character.  Its  supporters  are 
usually  advocates  of  the  theory  that  the  future  priest  should  be 
educated  apart  from  the  world,  not  merely  because  he  will  thus 
escape  contamination,  but  because  the  peculiarities  of  his  training 


THE  EPILOGUE 


607 


demand  it.  Its  opponents  considered  it  a  superfluous  expense, 
since  the  ordinary  college  did  the  work,  and  the  association  of 
the  young  cleric  with  the  laity  was  as  necessary  a  part  of  his  train¬ 
ing  as  his  studies.  The  Archbishop  heard  the  arguments  and 
opened  the  college,  placing  it  in  charge  of  Chancellor  Hayes  and 
the  priests  of  the  Cathedral. 

It  will  take  ten  years  to  tabulate  the  results.  The  theorists 
on  both  sides  may  not  have  much  to  count  upon,  as  the  boys  live 
at  home,  and  will  have  as  much  of  the  world  as  is  good  for  even  a 
layman.  One  hundred  and  fifteen  students  have  been  in  attend¬ 
ance,  and  the  rule  makes  demands  upon  their  piety  no  less  than 
their  industry  and  cleverness.  The  advantages  of  a  common  train¬ 
ing  are  as  evident  as  the  same  thing  at  West  Point.  Meanwhile, 
the  other  colleges  have  for  the  most  part  lost  the  gracious  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  young  clerics,  a  loss  felt  most  keenly  by  the  teachers 
and  professors,  for  these  boys  are  often  the  salt  and  the  light 
of  the  Catholic  college.  The  church  schools  are  naturally  the 
feeders  of  the  colleges,  the  very  basis  of  the  educational  system. 
Archbishop  Farley  appointed  two  superintendents  to  look  after 
them,  Revs.  Thomas  Thornton  and  Joseph  Smith,  whose  experi¬ 
ence  in  school- work,  acquaintance  with  the  needs  of  the  children, 
and  high  character,  warranted  excellent  supervision.  There  is  no 
longer  any  doubt  as  to  the  coming  success  of  the  religious  prin¬ 
ciple  in  the  education  of  the  children.  What  was  a  question 
fifty  years  ago  is  now  a  certainty.  We  have  kept  the  grand  major¬ 
ity  of  our  children,  while  the  sects  have  lost  theirs  to  indifference 
and  Agnosticism.  This  century  will  see  every  parent  and  Chris¬ 
tian  and  moralist  on  the  side  of  religion  in  training,  devoted  as 
are  the  Nonconformists  of  England  and  their  brethren  in  America 
to  schools  without  religion. 

The  expense  of  the  church  school  is  light  by  comparison  with 


608  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


other  schools,  but  still  a  heavy  burden;  and  yet  it  is  a  favorite 
theory  with  the  experts  that  the  church  school  pays  for  itself  in 
the  deepened  faith  of  the  people.  Acting  on  this  conviction 
Archbishop  Farley  set  out  to  increase  the  schools  in  the  diocese, 
at  least  to  that  point  which  would  enable  New  York  to  show  as 
large  a  proportion  of  children  at  school  as  any  well-placed  diocese. 
He  made  a  personal  appeal  to  all  his  rectors  to  build  schools, 
if  it  were  at  all  possible,  and  thus  carry  out  the  statute  of  the 
Third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  which  ordered  every  pastor 
to  erect  a  school  within  two  years.  The  responses  were  various, 
but  the  general  result  was  hopeful.  In  two  years  twenty-six 
new  schools  were  under  way.  Therefore,  within  a  very  short 
period,  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  children  will  be  added  to  the 
eighty  thousand  now  being  trained  in  the  care  of  the  Church. 
At  this  rate  it  will  not  be  many  years  until  the  great  majority  of 
the  children  will  be  in  the  proper  schools.  While  state  aid  is 
apparently  far  off,  owing  to  the  Protestant  dread  of  the  phantom, 
a  union  of  church  and  state,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  just  men 
will  yet  do  the  right  thing  by  a  noble  work,  conscientiously  under¬ 
taken,  and  doing  the  country  immense  service. 

The  crown  of  the  educational  system  is  the  Washington  Uni¬ 
versity,  whose  sixteen  years  have  been  full  of  trouble,  from  the 
sicknesses  of  infancy,  the  imprudences  of  youth,  the  mistakes  of 
nurses.  New  York  treated  it  coldly,  and  many  other  dioceses  kept 
away  from  it,  although  the  general  sentiment  admitted  the  need 
of  the  institution.  Long  was  it  prayed  for,  only  to  be  flouted  when 
it  came;  because  it  did  not  come  in  the  guise  which  each  one 
expected.  Archbishop  Farley  undertook  to  direct  popular  senti¬ 
ment  in  its  favor.  At  his  first  synod  in  November  15,  1904,  he 
gave  the  usual  instruction  to  the  clergy,  in  which  he  made  a  precise 
and  candid  declaration  in  behalf  of  the  university.  He  could  not 


THE  EPILOGUE 


609 


say  enough  in  praise  of  its  work,  nor  be  too  emphatic  in  commen¬ 
dation  of  its  quarterly,  the  now  famous  Bulletin.  The  utterance 
had  been  prepared  with  care,  and  was  delivered  with  warmth  of 
feeling.  It  meant,  of  course,  not  only  that  he  had  taken  up  the 
cause  of  the  university,  but  also  that  he  expected  the  clergy  to 
follow  him  with  enthusiasm;  and  he  certainly  provided  enough 
strong  reasons  to  enable  the  most  unwilling  to  convince  himself 
of  the  necessity  of  following.  Since  that  time,  as  he  had  done 
long  before,  he  has  uttered  the  same  sentiments  and  resolves, 
before  clergy  and  laity,  so  that  time  shall  not  weaken  the  memory 
of  the  first  utterance.  As  long  as  he  lives  the  entire  moral  strength 
of  the  great  diocese  will  be  at  the  command  of  the  university. 
What  the  effect  of  this  attitude  has  been,  the  authorities  of  the 
institution  know  better  than  any  other.  At  the  least,  it  will  help 
to  put  an  end  to  half-heartedness  in  many  places. 

Thus  have  school,  college,  seminary,  and  university,  been 
helped  in  the  past  three  years,  openly,  handsomely,  effectively;  so 
that  each  can  count  its  gifts,  and  the  whole  world  can  see  the  spirit 
which  is  abroad.  It  is  this  Christian  education,  supporting  the 
influence  of  the  home,  which  is  to  give  us  a  thoroughly  Christian 
laity,  a  sanctified  and  intellectual  priesthood.  From  decade  to 
decade  the  clergy  have  increased  in  numbers  and  grown  finer  in 
quality.  At  first  the  bishops  sought  only  for  priests,  being  anxious 
to  save  the  souls  that  were  perishing  for  lack  of  the  sacraments. 
It  is  quality  now  which  is  most  sought,  intellectual,  temperamental, 
spiritual.  Sanctity  is  the  real  mark  of  the  priest.  That  wisdom 
which  does  not  mean  the  fruit  of  reason,  but  the  love  of  the  things 
of  God,  is  his  loveliest  ornament,  and  his  most  powerful  weapon. 
Materialism  invades  the  human  nature  of  the  priest,  when  he 
forgets  prayer  and  meditation,  the  reading  and  study  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  and  of  other  holy  books.  With  a  view  to  encourage  atten- 


610  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


tion  to  the  spiritual  life,  Archbishop  Farley  established  in  Nov¬ 
ember  of  1904,  the  ceremony  of  the  monthly  recollection;  when 
the  priests  assemble  in  the  Cathedral  College,  listen  to  a  fervent 
instruction  from  an  earnest  preacher,  and  assist  at  the  Benediction 
of  the  Most  Blessed  Sacrament.  It  is  an  experiment  towards 
something  more  conclusive  and  permanent,  which  only  the  light  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  develop;  but  it  turns  the  minds  of  all  on  this 
one  day  to  the  special  need  of  the  priest’s  life,  heart-felt  prayer. 
Following  the  same  line  of  action  the  Archbishop  made  the  annual 
retreat  extend  over  three  weeks,  so  that  every  priest  in  the  diocese 
may  have  the  benefit  of  spiritual  retirement  and  refreshment  infal¬ 
libly  each  year. 

All  these  improvements  and  innovations  have  met  with  the 
usual  criticism,  some  of  it  facetious  enough;  but  changes  are  of 
value  if  only  to  draw  the  fire  of  criticism,  and  routine  proves 
itself  rotten  when  it  raises  a  howl  at  change.  The  life  of  the  clergy 
is  beautiful,  but  it  can  become  monotonous  even  in  its  beauty, 
and  it  is  well,  therefore,  to  disturb  it  occasionally  with  bearable 
trouble,  unusual  and  unwelcome  effort,  and  rewards  of  merit. 
While  the  Archbishop  was  introducing  the  trouble  and  the  effort 
he  did  not  forget  the  rewards.  Early  in  1904,  he  astonished  and 
delighted  the  country  by  obtaining  from  Pope  Pius  X  the  honors 
of  the  prelacy  for  eight  members  of  the  clergy.  The  incident 
has  already  been  recorded  here,  but  it  can  be  commented  on  from 
a  different  point  of  view.  The  rank  of  papal  prelate  is  purely 
honorary,  entitling  the  holder  to  certain  privileges  at  the  Vatican, 
and  to  precedence  in  his  own  diocese.  He  also  wears  the  dress 
of  a  prelate,  the  purple.  It  confers  no  power  and  no  jurisdic¬ 
tion;  but  it  may  be  compared  to  the  medal  or  the  epaulets  of  the 
victorious  general,  or  the  ribbon  and  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 
It  is  a  perpetual  reminder  of  certain  things  that  should  not  be 


THE  EPILOGUE 


611 


forgotten.  In  this  instance,  it  was  an  indication  that  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  intended  to  do  things  on  a  large  and  handsome  scale,  if 
he  did  them  at  all;  and  to  make  them  as  significant  as  possible. 
In  the  case  of  Dr.  Burtsell  this  significance  struck  even  the  dullest. 
No  elegant  speech  could  have  spoken  so  clearly  and  forcibly. 
With  regard  to  the  others  it  was  a  public  testimony  to  work  well 
done  and  to  character  kept  stainless.  And  perhaps,  also,  it  was 
an  emphatic  hint  to  all  that  the  misunderstandings  of  the  past 
had  ceased  to  be. 

The  reform  in  church  music  struck  the  diocese  of  New  York 
with  its  fullest  force,  chiefly  because  the  Pope  indirectly  urged  Arch¬ 
bishop  Farley  to  set  an  impressive  example  in  so  important  a  see. 
Although  outsiders  were  surprised  at  the  announcement  of  reform, 
and  some  musicians  found  it  a  retrograde  movement  instead  of 
an  advance,  there  was  nothing  sudden  in  its  introduction.  The 
peculiar  music  of  the  Church,  the  Gregorian  chant  and  its  modi¬ 
fications,  had  almost  been  lost  sight  of  in  the  stormy  centuries 
since  the  Council  of  Trent.  When  the  ship  itself  was  in  constant 
danger,  time  could  not  be  wasted  on  the  elegancies  of  the  rubrics 
and  the  formation  of  choirs.  The  Gregorian  disappeared  from 
common  use,  being  found  only  in  the  seminaries  and  monaster¬ 
ies,  and  in  a  few  parishes.  For  thirty  years  or  more,  however,  the 
restoration  and  purification  of  the  Gregorian  have  been  steadily 
advocated.  Fine  examples  of  its  noble  musical  character  have 
been  in  existence  in  Montreal,  and  in  the  churches  of  St.  Francis 
Xavier  and  of  St.  Paul  the  Apostle,  in  New  York.  The  effort 
to  restore  it  became  so  wide-spread  in  Europe  that  it  was  only 
a  matter  of  time  and  opportunity  when  some  pope  would  take 
it  up  and  give  it  the  first  impulse  towards  final  recognition.  Pius 
X,  as  Cardinal  of  Venice,  happened  to  be  the  patron  of  the  com¬ 
poser,  Perosi,  who  had  won  eminence  by  his  sacred  musical  com- 


612  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


positions  and  had  been  established  in  Rome.  When  Cardinal 
Sarto  became  Pius  X  the  road  was  opened  for  the  return  of  the 
Gregorian  to  its  preeminent  place  in  the  choir.  The  papal  docu¬ 
ment  commanding  its  restoration  with  all  convenient  speed  might 
have  produced  no  more  than  a  formal  compliance  with  its  pro¬ 
visions,  for  the  inertia  of  the  world  is  a  difficult  thing  to  overcome 
even  for  a  good  cause;  but  Pius  X  supported  it  with  his  personal 
influence,  and  asked  every  bishop  that  visited  him  to  make  a 
conscientious  effort  in  behalf  of  Plain  Song,  to  keep  the  spirit,  as 
well  as  the  letter,  of  his  commands. 

The  whole  matter  was  placed  strongly  before  Archbishop 
Farley,  who  promised  to  do  all  that  could  be  done.  He  kept 
his  word  by  introducing  the  Gregorian  chant  into  the  Cathe¬ 
dral,  and  urging  upon  all  his  pastors  to  adopt  it  as  soon  as 
possible.  Better  than  this,  however,  was  the  appointment  of  a 
commission  to  look  into  conditions,  and  to  take  charge  of  the  revo¬ 
lution  that  was  bound  to  come.  In  charge  of  Monsignor  McGean 
this  commission  has  carried  on  the  work  confided  to  it,  and  is 
intelligently  and  moderately  paving  the  way  for  the  desired  result. 
All  have  recognized  the  chief  difficulty  of  the  situation,  which 
is  to  train  capable  singers  in  the  Gregorian  for  the  smaller  churches. 
Plain  Song  poorly  sung  is  a  most  woeful  disturber  of  divine  wor¬ 
ship,  and  it  is  bound  to  be  poorly  sung  in  the  smaller  choirs.  It 
is  better,  therefore,  to  continue  the  simple  and  melodious  music 
which  can  be  well  sung  by  the  average  singers,  than  to  degrade 
the  public  church  service  by  the  sonorous  bawling  which  can  be 
heard  in  many  small  parishes  of  Quebec;  until  that  time  when 
capable  teachers  will  have  trained  the  children  with  sympathetic 
voices  to  render  the  sublime  chant  of  the  Church.  New  York, 
under  the  inspiration  of  its  Archbishop,  has  taken  up  the  work  in 
a  way  to  delight  the  heart  of  the  Pope  and  his  adviser  in  this 


THE  EPILOGUE 


613 


matter,  the  Abbe  Perosi.  A  clerical  choir  has  been  formed,  com¬ 
posed  of  members  of  the  clergy,  which  will  undertake  the  singing 
of  priests’  requiems  and  other  important  occasions,  and  at  the  same 
time  make  a  special  study  of  Plain  Song  under  efficient  teachers. 
The  change  of  music  at  the  Cathedral  has  not  pleased  the  lovers 
of  music  nor  the  multitude,  but  this  is  an  unavoidable  incident. 
When  the  singers  of  Gregorian  have  multiplied,  and  the  choir 
director  can  gather  for  festal  days  five  hundred  trained  voices, 
as  they  do  in  Montreal  and  Paris,  the  solemn  and  harmonious 
effect  will  efface  the  memory  of  operatic  church  music. 

The  old  devotion  to  the  work  of  the  famous  society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  once  so  popular  in  this  country,  had 
languished  amid  the  numerous  works  of  charity  carried  on  in 
New  York.  It  was  suggested  to  Archbishop  Farley  that  he  re¬ 
vive  it.  The  society  had  been  generous  to  the  American  mis¬ 
sion,  it  was  doing  wonderful  work  in  many  parts  of  the  world, 
and  it  was  an  effective  agency  for  taxing  the  richer  dioceses  for 
the  benefit  of  those  poverty-stricken.  The  Archbishop  at  once 
appointed  an  energetic  priest.  Rev.  John  B.  Dunn,  to  make  the 
revival  his  special  care,  to  collect  money  throughout  the  diocese, 
and  so  to  organize  the  good  work  that  the  name  of  the  diocese 
would  be  held  in  benediction  by  the  struggling  missionaries  in 
the  waste  places  of  the  world.  This  instruction  has  been  followed, 
and  for  the  past  year  generous  sums  of  money  have  been  flowing 
into  the  parched  lands,  while  the  system  of  management  is  being 
perfected.  In  the  same  way  has  the  Archbishop  enlivened  all 
the  boards  and  committees  engaged  in  diocesan  work;  he  has 
found  time  not  only  to  address  them  with  encouraging  words, 
but  also  to  speak  the  command,  or  suggest  the  method,  or  de¬ 
mand  the  result,  which  stirred  them  to  more  efficient  work.  His 
intimate  acquaintance  with  them  enabled  him  to  strike  the  weakest 


614  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


and  the  strongest  spot  with  the  first  word,  and  thus  to  set  them 
going  at  their  best  speed. 

Turning  now  from  the  work  of  diocesan  administration  to 
questions  of  general  interest,  the  matter  of  federation  of  the 
Catholic  societies  in  America  was  among  the  first  to  engage  the 
attention  of  the  Archbishop.  This  purely  economic  measure,  of 
the  greatest  value,  had  been  proposed  and  advocated  by  Bishop 
McFaul  of  Trenton  for  many  years.  Its  usefulness  had  been 
at  once  perceived,  but  the  leaders  were  not  so  sure  of  its  neces¬ 
sity.  The  utterly  conservative  opposed  it,  because  all  great  organ¬ 
izations  seem  to  them  to  threaten  more  future  evil  than  present 
good.  There  was  also  the  usual  opposition  from  some  of  the 
societies  interested.  The  idea  triumphed  over  all  opposition, 
as  men  discussed  its  natural  and  beneficial  consequences.  It 
did  not  affect  the  independence  of  the  societies,  but  really  strength¬ 
ened  individual  influence.  It  brought  them  together  as  one  for 
great  purposes,  and  it  promised  to  break  down  the  barriers  which 
distance,  racial  feelings,  and  local  customs  inevitably  build  up 
between  organizations,  although  pursuing  the  same  aim  and 
actuated  by  the  same  faith.  Archbishop  Farley  gave  his  sup¬ 
port  to  the  idea,  and  also  its  first  impulse  in  New  York.  Vicar- 
General  Lavelle  presided  at  the  meeting  of  delegates  from  the 
various  societies  to  create  the  Board  of  Federation,  and  in  his 
significant  speech  voiced  the  good-will  of  the  Archbishop  and 
his  earnest  desire  that  nothing  should  prevent  the  successful 
consummation  of  the  scheme.  The  German  societies  distin¬ 
guished  themselves  by  their  support  of  federation,  which  is  hardly 
to  be  wondered  at,  as  the  Germans  are  intense  lovers  of  organized 
effort,  and  carry  their  passion  into  the  smallest  affairs  of  life. 
Their  children  play  at  forming  societies.  It  is  likely  that  they 
will  prove  the  strongest  supporters  of  the  federation  idea,  all 


THE  EPILOGUE 


615 


the  more  that  the  Archbishop  has  set  the  seal  of  his  approval 
upon  it.  In  time  a  single  word  from  the  chief  officer  of  federa¬ 
tion  will  be  heard  to  the  limits  of  the  nation;  and  thus  Catholic 
public  opinion,  from  quick  information,  will  be  swiftly  formed, 
and  prompt  action  on  any  given  measure  will  be  easily  secured. 

Through  his  entire  career  the  Archbishop  has  been  more  or 
less  in  touch  with  the  press,  because  of  his  official  positions.  For 
the  erratic  and  irresponsible  animal  which  it  has  proved  itself, 
often  cruel  and  lawless,  it  has  treated  him  very  well,  because  he 
met  it  with  courtesy  and  frankness.  Its  methods  naturally  sug¬ 
gested  to  him  the  formation  of  a  Catholic  press.  No  cleric  of  any 
experience  but  knows  the  grave  necessity  of  a  Catholic  press  to¬ 
day.  What  press  we  have  does  good  work  as  far  is  it  goes,  but 
it  is  not  strong  and  varied  enough  to  meet  the  secular  press  on 
even  terms;  it  does  not  affect  the  public  opinion  of  the  hour;  it 
has  not  the  patronage  which  enables  a  press  to  secure  the  highest 
talent  and  experience;  it  has  not  been  able  to  hold  its  own  gradu¬ 
ates  or  to  cultivate  a  new  set  of  them.  Undoubtedly,  this  miser¬ 
able  condition  must  soon  be  changed  for  the  better,  and  the  Arch¬ 
bishop  is  sufficiently  acquainted  with  it  and  sufficiently  interested 
to  help  bring  about  a  change.  His  warm  praise  of  the  Univer¬ 
sity  Bulletin,  his  commendation  of  the  various  publications  in 
the  diocese,  and  his  encouragement  of  the  Dunwoodie  publica¬ 
tion,  the  New  York  Review,  show  his  interest.  When  he  feels 
that  the  moment  for  action  has  arrived,  the  signs  are  that  he  will 
do  something  worth  while. 

In  the  meantime  he  has  begun  the  work,  far  off  as  it  were,  by 
the  enterprise  of  producing  a  Catholic  encyclopedia.  A  work 
of  this  kind  will  be  one  of  the  springs  of  Catholic  and  secular 
journalism.  It  will  provide  the  information  for  lack  of  which 
American  writers  and  journalists,  and  indeed  people  of  every 


616  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


class,  make  the  most  astonishing  blunders  with  regard  to  Cath¬ 
olic  history,  belief,  custom,  teaching,  and  opinion.  This  year 
the  organization  of  the  encyclopedia  was  effected.  A  stock  com¬ 
pany  was  formed  to  finance  and  to  manage  the  production  and 
the  sale.  An  eminent  Catholic  professor,  Charles  Herbermann, 
was  made  the  editor-in-chief,  Dr.  Shahan  and  Dr.  Pace  of  the 
University,  Conde  Pallen,  and  Fathers  Wynne  and  Campbell, 
editors  of  the  Messenger,  were  made  associate  editors,  Mr.  Charles 
Eyre  was  chosen  president  of  the  company  and  Mr.  Robert  Apple- 
ton  the  manager.  The  Archbishop  called  a  meeting  of  business 
men,  and  proposed  that  New  York  should  raise  one-half  the 
stock,  or  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Thirty-five  thousand  was  taken 
at  the  meeting.  He  proposed  that  the  other  half  should  be  con¬ 
tributed  by  the  leading  dioceses  of  the  country,  as  the  work  was 
intended  for  all,  and  all  would  certainly  share  in  its  benefits.  He 
laid  the  matter  before  the  archbishops  at  their  annual  meeting, 
and  they  agreed  to  take  one-half  the  burden.  The  work  has, 
therefore,  been  successfully  launched  as  far  as  the  business  part 
of  it  is  concerned.  The  editors  and  managers  must  do  the  rest. 
It  is  a  splendid  enterprise,  and  will  shed  glory  on  all  that  have 
part  in  it.  The  Church  holds  so  commanding  a  place  in  the 
Republic  as  to  provoke  inquiry  in  all  quarters;  and  at  the  same 
time  so  little  is  she  known,  so  rock-ribbed  is  prejudice  and  ignor¬ 
ance  towards  her  that  the  ablest  men  of  the  land,  professors, 
statesmen,  judges,  and  journalists,  are  not  ashamed  to  echo  the 
slanders,  and  lies,  and  blunders,  of  the  past,  all  of  them  childish, 
with  pompous  display  of  learning. 

The  publication  of  an  encyclopedia  is  a  dangerous  and  diffi¬ 
cult  enterprise;  the  first  cost  is  enormous,  and  the  expense  of 
distribution  very  large.  It  is  the  work  of  years,  if  it  be  of  impor¬ 
tance.  All  the  more  does  the  adventure  show  the  spirit  of  its 


THE  EPILOGUE 


617 


promoter,  his  confidence  in  the  people,  his  sense  of  its  necessity, 
and  his  courage.  To  the  experienced  eye  it  is  destined  to  a  great 
success,  but  this  is  not  so  clear  to  the  tyro.  It  is  another  evidence 
that  the  Archbishop  is  bent  on  doing  great  things  greatly.  It  is 
the  beginning  of  a  Catholic  press.  It  just  precedes  the  literary 
resurrection  which  will  come  in  this  century  to  the  poor  dead 
body  of  Catholic- American  literature,  lying  wrapped  in  its  mourn¬ 
ful  cerements  in  the  tomb  guarded  by  the  modern  publishers, 
and  awaiting  the  trumpet  of  Gabriel,  or  the  touch  of  a  master, 
to  spring  into  life  again.  Should  it  be  the  lot  of  Archbishop 
Farley  to  bring  about  that  resurrection,  his  fame  will  outlast 
his  own  cathedral.  It  can  be  surmised,  from  the  last  few  pages, 
that  he  has  taken  up  the  life  of  a  public  man  with  as  much  earnest¬ 
ness  and  sincerity  as  others  have  displayed  in  avoiding  the 
position  and  its  duties.  In  looking  back  upon  the  bishops  that 
have  ruled  in  New  York,  it  will  be  seen  that  Bishop  Dubois  kept 
clear  of  the  public,  although  cultivating  the  acquaintance  of  public 
men ;  that  Cardinal  McCloskey  neither  avoided  nor  sought  it, 
but  was  nevertheless  steadily  in  the  public  view;  that  Archbishop 
Hughes  deliberately  sought  the  American  public,  appealed  to  its 
sense  of  justice  and  fair  play,  and  often  instructed  it  ;  and  that 
Archbishop  Corrigan  as  deliberately  avoided  publicity,  detested 
it,  and  looked  askance  at  the  men  who  kept  the  centre  of  the 
great  stage. 

It  seems  to  be  a  matter  of  temperament,  but  may  also  be  a 
matter  of  policy.  It  may  have  been  observed  that  the  Ameri¬ 
can  public,  quite  as  much  as  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans, 
is  taught  by  its  leaders  through  public  utterances  and  appear¬ 
ances.  Much  more  than  to  the  press  do  Americans  turn  for 
light  to  representative  men;  so  much  so  that  the  press  has  been 
compelled  to  use  the  great  names  of  the  day  in  getting  the  interest 


618  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 


of  readers  for  certain  matters.  The  Archbishop  of  New  York 
is  by  his  position  the  foremost  churchman  of  the  country.  His 
utterances,  carefully  phrased  for  a  situation  or  a  public  emotion, 
cannot  but  have  a  far-reaching  effect.  It  would  appear  that 
Archbishop  Farley  is  fully  alive  to  these  facts  and  has  taken  up 
the  office  of  a  public  man  with  good  sense  and  honest  discretion. 
Each  public  appearance  of  his,  since  his  elevation,  has  been  signi¬ 
ficant,  and  his  utterances  have  studiously  avoided  the  common¬ 
place.  College  commencements  are  great  occasions  for  epis¬ 
copal  commonplaces.  In  the  year  1905,  at  three  of  these  cele¬ 
brations  he  spoke  with  such  emphasis  and  eloquence  on  West 
Point  education,  the  divorce  evil,  and  the  fine  character  of  Presi¬ 
dent  Roosevelt,  that  audiences  listened  with  astonishment  and 
pleasure,  and  the  press  printed  his  speeches  with  display  type 
in  prominent  columns.  As  one  glances  at  the  list  of  his  activities, 
the  more  important  only  being  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  and 
observes  the  methods  used,  a  suspicion  is  born  that  Archbishop 
Farley  possesses  not  only  capacity  for  work  but  the  quality  of 
greatness.  It  will  take  years  for  this  quality  to  display  itself 
beyond  doubt,  since  mere  activity  does  not  testify  to  its  presence. 
It  is  no  praise  to  say,  for  it  expresses  a  common  impression,  that 
he  has  begun  his  career  on  grand  lines. 

Here  this  history  ends.  It  opened  with  a  great  man  in  an 
honorable  but  miserable  situation:  Archbishop  Carroll  solitary 
in  the  new  Republic.  He  began  his  career  with  Washington, 
whom  the  nation  has  canonized  for  its  own  temple.  Why  should 
he  not  receive  the  honors  of  the  altar  for  a  life  that  was  heroic, 
as  far  as  I  know  the  records,  from  his  youth  to  his  death,  and 
whose  patience,  perseverance,  and  sweetness  under  painful  trials 
seemed  of  saintly  perfection  and  constancy?  The  history  ends 
with  a  situation  whose  vast  dignity  cannot  be  surpassed  on  this 


THE  EPILOGUE 


619 


Continent  at  least.  The  reader  will  have  perceived  that  this 
book  embraces  the  career  of  mostly  humble  people,  driven  out 
from  their  native  seats  by  adversity,  who  kept  the  faith  through 
trials  of  all  kinds,  and  who  came  at  last  to  a  noble  prosperity  for 
themselves,  and  a  great  triumph  for  their  religion.  They  have 
been  justified  greatly  by  success  because  through  the  providence 
of  God  their  career  was  unconsciously  planned  after  the  rule  of 
the  Scriptures:  “Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  justice, 
and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you.”  At  the  outset 
they  had  to  be  content  with  the  lowest  place,  and  to  get  their 
human  joys  in  low  wages,  their  own  company,  small  opportu¬ 
nities,  and  the  beauties  of  nature.  Apostasy  was  the  price 
demanded  for  promotion.  A  few  paid  it,  poor  souls.  The 
grand  majority  stood  to  the  faith,  and  now  their  glory  shines  in 
the  eyes  of  all  men,  permanent,  convincing,  beautiful  as  the  sun 
of  the  morning, 


Orphan  Asylum 


SOURCES  AND  AUTHORITIES 


1.  History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States.  John  Gilmary  Shea.  New  York,  1886. 

2.  History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States.  By  Decourcy  and  Shea.  New  York, 

1879. 

3.  History  of  the  Indian  Missions.  By  John  Gilmary  Shea.  New  York,  1883. 

4.  History  of  the  American  People.  By  John  Bach  McMaster. 

5.  With  the  Fathers.  Essays  by  the  same. 

6.  Historical  Records  and  Studies.  By  United  States  Catholic  Historical  Society.  October, 

1900,  and  August,  1901. 

a.  Cardinal  McCloskey.  By  Most  Rev.  John  Farley. 

b.  Register  of  New  York  Priests.  By  Most  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan. 

c.  Pioneer  Times  in  Brooklyn.  By  Thomas  F.  Meehan. 

d.  Church  and  State  in  New  York.  By  Edward  McGuire. 

e.  A  German  Petition.  By  Rev.  D.  P.  O’Neill. 

7.  The  Golden  Milestone.  By  Sisters  of  Mercy.  New  York,  1896. 

8.  Life  of  Archbishop  Hughes.  By  John  Hassard.  New  \  ork,  1867. 

9.  Works  of  Archbishop  Hughes.  By  Lawrence  Kehoe.  New  York,  1864. 

10.  Sadlier’s  Directories  from  1864  to  1889. 

11.  The  Catholic  Churches  of  New  York  City.  By  Lawrence  Goulding.  New  York,  1878. 

12.  Journal  of  the  Fair  in  St.  Patrick’s  Cathedral,  1878. 

13.  The  Paulists.  By  L.  W.  Reilly.  American  Ecclesiastical  Review.  September,  1887. 

14.  Life  of  Father  Hecker.  By  Rev.  Walter  Elliott.  New  York,  1894. 

15.  Life  of  Father  Baker.  By  Rev.  Augustine  Hewit.  New  York,  1870. 

16.  The  Oxford  Movement  in  America.  By  Rev.  Clarence  Walworth.  New  York,  1890. 

17.  The  Catholic  Church  in  New  York.  By  Rev.  James  Roosevelt  Bayley.  New  York,  1870. 

18.  The  True  History  of  Maria  Monk.  Catholic  Truth  Society.  Vol.  XIX.  London,  1894. 

19.  Three  Quarters  of  a  Century.  Rev.  A.  J.  Thebaud.  New  York,  1904. 

20.  Freeman’s  Journal  Files  from  from  1850  to  date.  Catholic  Club  Library.  New  York. 

21.  The  Catholic  Review  Files  from  1872  to  1895.  Catholic  Club  Library.  New  York. 

22.  Pastoral  Letters;  Reports  of  The  Catholic  Union.  Catholic  Club  Library. 

23.  The  Synods  of  New  York.  Cathedral  Library  Press.  New  York,  1901. 

24.  The  Fourth  Provincial  Council.  Catholic  Publication  Society.  New  York,  1886. 

25.  The  Life  of  Brownson.  By  Henry  F.  Brownson.  Detroit,  1900. 

26.  New  York  State  Constitutional  Convention.  Catholic  Club  Committee’s  Report,  1894. 

27.  Catholic  and  Protestant  Countries  Compared.  By  Rev.  Alfred  Young,  C.S.P .  New  \  ork,  1903. 

28.  Reports  of  Charity  Commissions.  New  York,  1903. 

29.  Private  Charitable  Institutions  in  New  York.  By  Edward  Grout,  1904. 

30.  Memorial  of  Archbishop  Corrigan.  Cathedral  Library  Press,  1902. 

31.  Statements  by  Archbishop  Corrigan  and  Dr.  McGlynn.  The  Standard.  January,  1887. 

(621) 


INDEX 


Academies,  Catholic,  337. 

Acadians,  the  expelled,  11. 

Addresses  to  Archbishop  Corrigan,  434. 
Albany,  Diocese  of,  in  1864,  279. 

America  and  the  Papacy,  385. 

American  college,  168,  389. 

American,  the  illustrated  Catholic,  522. 
Americanism,  426. 

American  Protective  Association,  538. 
Anderson,  Professor  Henry,  188,  254. 
Apalache  Indians,  6. 

Apostolic  Mission  House,  507. 

Architecture,  church,  179. 

Arthur,  President,  389. 

Association,  St.  Michael’s,  383. 
Associations,  Catholic,  456. 

Assumption  Fathers,  509. 

Asylums,  orphan,  45,  189. 

Banner,  the  Green,  83. 

Barber  family,  the,  116. 

Barnabo,  Cardinal,  265. 

Bayley,  Archbishop,  253. 

Bedim,  Archbishop,  234. 

Beecher,  Henry  Ward,  409. 

Belgian  priests,  309. 

Benedictines,  the,  509. 

Benedictine  Sisters,  510. 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  142,  144,  146. 
Benzigers,  the,  525. 

Bill,  Freedom  of  Worship,  400,  411,  539. 
Blessed  Sacrament,  Community  of  the,  509. 
Books  by  converts,  257. 

Bowen,  Henry  Clark,  113. 

Brady,  Judge  James  *T.,  322. 

Brann,  Rev.  Henry  A.,  309,  432. 

Brennan,  Rev.  Richard,  304. 

Bressani,  S.  J.,  Father,  9. 

Brigade,  the  Irish,  272. 

Brooksiana,  150. 

Brother  Azarias,  528. 

Brownlee,  Rev.  Mr.,  134. 


Brownson,  Orestes  A.,  181,  255,  336,  392,  398. 
Brownson’s  Review,  394. 

Brownson,  life  of,  529. 

Bulger,  Rev.  Richard,  67. 

Buntline,  Ned,  238. 

Burke,  O.  P.,  Rev.  Thomas,  320. 

Burtsell,  Monsignor,  308,  444,  547,  600. 
Business  men,  Catholic,  455. 

Cahenslyism,  426. 

Canada,  Old,  3. 

Calvert,  8. 

Canal,  Erie,  63. 

Carmelites,  the,  509. 

Carroll,  Archbishop,  18,  20,  26,  618. 

Capucins,  351. 

Cathedral  College,  606. 

Cathedral,  St.  Patrick’s  new,  179,  290. 

Catholic  opinion  in  1860,  166,  169. 

Catholic  daily,  A,  530. 

Catholics,  position  of  in  1840,  141,  575. 

Catholic  American,  the,  522. 

Catholics,  Colonial,  8,  10,  13. 

Catholic  American  News,  the,  523. 

Catholic  journals,  401. 

Catholic  Herald,  the,  523. 

Catholic  writers,  399,  527. 

Catholic  Review,  the,  400,  522. 

Catholic  World,  the,  398,  524. 

Celebration  of  St.  Patrick’s  day,  98. 

Celt,  the  American,  163. 

Chambly,  63. 

Chaplains  in  Continental  Army,  15. 

Charities,  Catholic  Association  of,  501,  503. 
Charity,  Sisters  of,  194,  354. 

Charity  schools,  City  aid  for,  501. 

Charities,  State  Board  of,  500. 

Charity  superintendents,  500. 

Charity  system  of  New  York  City,  499. 
Cheverus,  Cardinal,  53,  56,  112. 

Christian  Press  Association,  the,  526. 

Church  property,  tenure  of,  65. 

(623) 


624 


INDEX 


Church  statistics,  1880,  314. 

Church-building,  1835,  91. 

Churches,  bankrupt,  177. 

Church  in  America,  583,  586,  587. 

Church  corporation  bill,  178. 

Church  architecture,  1880,  477. 

Church  schools,  lay  teachers  in,  503. 

Church  decoration,  315. 

Church  and  state,  225. 

Christian  Brothers,  the,  203,  352,  490,  508. 
Civil  war,  effects  of,  260. 

Catholic  opinion  of,  261. 

Citizen,  the,  217. 

Clergy,  character  of,  1860,  167,  173. 

1900,  592.  * 

Clergy  and  the  school  question,  433. 

Clinton,  DeWitt,  49,  63. 

Clowry,  Rev.  William,  304. 

Club,  the  Catholic,  458. 

Colonization  schemes,  161. 

Colleges,  Catholic,  336. 

Colton,  Bishop,  428,  444,  596. 

Communities,  religious,  187,  193,  504,  508,  509. 
Compromise  schools,  424,  485,  574. 

Colonies,  Catholic,  in  1825,  61. 

Concanen,  Bishop,  38. 

Connolly,  Bishop,  53,  571. 

Confessional,  secret  of,  in  law,  48. 

Considine,  Rev.  M.  J.,  488. 

Constitution,  American,  2. 

Constitution,  New  York  State,  amendment  to, 
499. 

Constitutions,  State,  17. 

Constitutional  Convention,  496,  540. 

Converts,  113,  247,  250,  254,  256,  300,  405,  535, 
537. 

Controversialists  in  1835,  82. 

Corcoran,  Brigadier-General,  271. 

Corley,  Rev.  Charles,  597. 

Corrigan,  Archbishop,  389,  415,  462,  555,  578, 
582. 

Coudert,  Frederic,  322,  540. 

Council,  First  Provincial,  214. 

Second  Provincial,  217. 

Letter  of,  218. 

Third  Provincial,  224. 

Fourth  Provincial,  292,  374. 

Second  Plenary  Baltimore,  362. 

Third  Plenary  Baltimore,  461. 


Cretineau-Joly,  51. 

Cummings,  Rev.  Jeremiah,  170,  393. 
Cummiskey,  Rev.  James,  171. 

Cusack,  Bishop,  596. 

Day  nurseries,  493. 

Davitt,  Michael,  422. 

Deshon,  Rev.  George,  254,  271. 

Develin  family,  the,  324. 

Devotions  popular,  1870,  316. 

Dodge  family,  the,  119. 

Dominican  Sisters,  of  Hunt’s  Point,  511. 
Dominicans,  the,  351. 

The  French,  507. 

Dongan,  Colonel  Thomas,  10. 

Donnelly,  Monsignor,  305,  422. 

Draft  riots,  270. 

Drumgoole,  Rev.  John,  340. 

Drumgoole  Mission,  340. 

Dubois,  Bishop,  74,  84,  86,  572. 
Dunwoodie  Seminary,  492. 

Edwards,  Monsignor,  309,  444,  596. 
Edwards,  Elisha  Jay,  557. 

Elliott,  Rev.  Walter,  441. 

Embassy  at  Rome,  American,  380. 
Emmet,  Thomas  Addis,  70. 

England,  Bishop,  73,  85,  87. 

England  arraigned,  220. 

Episcopalian  criticism,  127. 

Evangelical  alliance,  the,  538. 

Everett,  Rev.  William,  172,  251,  305. 
Expositor,  the  Catholic,  83. 

Families,  Catholic,  459. 

Farley,  Archbishop,  308,  428. 

Career,  589. 

And  McGlynn  case,  591. 

Delegate  Satolli,  591. 

Proselytizing,  603. 

Italians,  604. 

Clerical  training,  605. 

Cathedral  college,  606. 

Church  schools,  607. 

Washington  University,  608. 
Diocesan  clergy,  610. 

Gregorian  chant,  611. 

Society  Propagation  of  Faith,  613. 
Catholic  Federation,  614. 


INDEX 


625 


Farley,  Archbishop, 

And  the  Catholic  Press,  615. 
Catholic  Cyclopedia,  615. 

Public  opinion,  618. 

Farmer,  Rev.  Ferdinand,  25,  28. 

Farnum,  Rev.  John,  59,  71. 

Felician  Sisters,  510. 

Fenwick,  Bishop,  41,  47,  56. 

Ffrench,  Rev.  Charles,  58,  66. 

Florida,  Old,  5. 

Finances,  church,  1835,  94. 

Flood,  Rev.  James,  428,  444,  597. 

Forbes,  Rev.  John  Murray,  172,  251. 
Fordham  College,  167. 

Foundling  Asylum,  341. 

Franciscans,  the,  351. 

Franciscan  Sisters,  Peekskill,  341. 
Freemasonry,  American,  96. 

Freeman’s  Journal,  the,  257,  522. 

Froude,  James  Anthony,  320. 

Gavazzi,  Alessandro,  232. 

Gazette,  New  York,  68. 

German  Catholics,  448. 

Petition  of,  42. 

Gerry,  Hon.  Elbridge,  541,  555. 

Gilbault,  Rev.  Peter,  7,  16. 

Gibbons,  Cardinal,  515. 

Good  Shepherd  Home,  342. 

Good  Shepherd,  Sisters  of,  199. 

Greeley,  Horace,  150,  236,  268. 

Grace,  William  R.,  323. 

Guild  of  the  Infant  Saviour,  501 . 

Hayes,  Rev.  Patrick,  600. 

Havermans,  Rev.  Peter,  173. 

Hawthorne,  Julian,  562. 

Ilecker,  Rev.  Isaac  T.,  206,  248,  255,  306. 
Helpers  of  the  Holy  Souls,  the,  511. 
Herald,  the  New  York,  321,  408,  576. 
Hewit,  Rev.  Augustine,  250,  307. 

Hickey,  Patrick  V.,  400. 

Hodge,  President  of  Princeton,  487. 

Holy  Family  Magazine,  the,  522. 

Holy  See,  American  Loyalty  to,  224. 

Home  Bureau,  496. 

Home  Journal  and  News,  the,  523. 

Homes  for  Women,  494. 

Immigrants,  494. 


Hospitals,  343,  495. 

Hostile  Journalism,  407. 

Hughes,  Archbishop,  84,  86,  105,  121,  143,  235, 
238,  261,  265,  573,  576. 

Huntington,  Rev.  J.  V.,  254. 

Immigration,  German,  90. 

General,  159. 

Irish,  89,  110,  129,  164. 

Incendiarism,  133. 

Institutions,  charitable,  1860,  189. 

Ironside,  Rev.  George  Edmund,  115. 

Italian  confiscations,  380. 

Italian  Catholics,  448,  472. 

Ives,  Levi  Silliman,  252. 

Ives,  Mrs.,  253. 

Jay,  Hon.  John,  25. 

Jesuits,  the,  168,  205,  348,  450,  490,  506. 

Jogues,  S.  J.,  Rev.  Isaac,  9. 

Journals,  Catholic,  1830,  102. 

1890,  451. 

Journalism,  Secular,  1835,  109. 

Kean,  Rev.  John  J.,  601. 

Kearney,  Monsignor,  309,  450,  598. 

Kelly,  Hon.  John,  165,  323. 

Kelly,  Eugene,  324. 

Kelly,  Bishop  of  Richmond,  67. 

Kenrick,  Archbishop,  85. 

Kernan,  Hon.  John  D.,  323. 

Kessler,  Rev.  Anthony,  446. 

Kewley,  Rev.  Mr.,  115. 

King,  Rev.  James  R.,  540. 

Knownothingism,  130. 

Kohlmann,  Rev.  Anthony,  41,  48,  51. 

Kossuth,  150. 

Lafont,  Rev.  Annet,  203. 

Laity,  the  Catholic,  1885,  447. 

Lambert,  Rev.  Louis,  522. 

Land  League,  the  Irish,  387. 

Larkin,  Rev.  John,  304. 

Lammel,  Rev.  Anthony,  446. 

Lauterbach,  Edward,  499. 

Law  of  1875,  343. 

Lavelle,  Monsignor,  595. 

Lawyers,  Catholic,  452. 

Lazarists,  the,  574. 


INDEX 


626 

Leary,  Countess  Anne,  605. 

Legislation  affecting  Catholics,  110. 

Lewis,  Rev.  James,  601. 

Leray  de  Chaumont,  James,  62. 

Leo  XIII,  386,  512. 

And  compromise  school,  518. 
Americanism,  519. 

Irish  troubles,  514. 

Dr.  McGlynn,  515. 

Knights  of  Labor,  516. 

Encyclical  on  Labor,  516. 
Cahenslyism,  516. 

Washington  University,  517. 

Levins,  Rev.  Dr.,  72,  83,  99. 

Libraries,  parish,'  317,  442. 

Lincoln,  Hughes’  opinion  of,  263. 

To  the  Pope,  267. 

On  Hughes,  275. 

Literary  Institute,  the  New  York,  45. 

Loubat,  J.  F.,  413. 

Lynch,  Dominic,  61. 

Macoupin,  German  colony  of,  46. 

Malou,  Rev.  Peter,  57,  66,  71. 

Malibran,  73. 

MacNeven,  Dr.  William,  98. 

Maria  Monk  Imposture,  134. 

Manahan,  Dr.  Ambrose,  171. 

Mass-meeting  of  Xavier  Union,  389. 

Marist  Brothers,  490. 

McCloskey,  George,  99. 

McCloskey,  Cardinal,  276,  278,  384,  412,  576. 

Letter  of,  to  Cardinal  Reisach,  280. 
McCready,  Monsignor,  445,  599. 

McGean,  Monsignor,  444,  597,  612. 
McGlynn,  Dr.  Edward,  287,  305,  421,  424. 
And  Cardinal  McCloskey,  542. 

Henry  George,  544. 

Archbishop  Corrigan,  544. 

Statement  of,  547. 

Submission  of,  552. 

Funeral  of,  554. 

McGee,  D’Arcy,  152. 

MeKeon,  John,  165. 

MeKenna,  Monsignor,  600. 

McLeod,  Rev.  Donald,  253. 

McMahon,  Rev.  Denis,  601. 

McMaster,  James  A.,  247,  257,  273,  395. 
McMaster,  John  Bach,  129. 


McMillan,  C.  S.  P.,  Rev.  Thomas,  442. 
McQuaid,  Bishop,  570. 

McSweeney,  Monsignor,  307,  334,  444,  598, 
Meagher,  General  James,  271. 

Mercy,  Sisters  of,  196,  356. 

Mercy,  Fathers  of,  203,  351. 

Mercier,  Rev.  Alexandre,  508. 

Messenger,  the,  432,  524. 

Metropolitan  Record,  the,  261. 

Mignault,  Rev.  Peter,  64. 

Milmoth,  Charlotte,  37. 

Miralles,  Don  Juan,  16. 

Missionary,  the,  524. 

Mission  to  non-Catholics,  441. 

Missionary  Sisters  of  S.  H.,  510. 

Mixed  marriages,  326. 

Mooney,  Monsignor,  444,  594. 

Moore,  Bishop,  546. 

Mullaly,  John,  274. 

Mulry,  Thomas  F.,  496. 

Nassau  Mission,  443. 

Nilan,  Rev.  James,  445. 

Newman,  Cardinal,  248, 

New  York  Diocese,  1864,  285. 

New  York  Review,  the,  525. 

Noethen,  Rev.  Theodore,  171. 

Nomination  of  Bishops,  589. 

Notre  Dame,  Sisters  of,  198. 

Nugent,  Rev.  Andrew,  28,  30. 

O’Brien,  Rev.  Matthew,  31,  41. 

O’Brien,  Rev.  William,  33,  41. 

O’Connor,  Thomas,  165. 

O’Connor,  Charles,  165,  322. 

O’Farrell,  Bishop,  303. 

O’Farrell,  Rev.  M.  C.,  445. 

Officers,  Catholic  Continental,  15. 
O’Gorman,  Rev.  Michael,  58,  64,  67. 
O’Gorman,  Richard,  320,  323. 

Oertel,  Rev.  Maximilian,  122,  257. 

O’Keefe,  Monsignor,  443,  546,  599. 

Olivetti,  Rev.  Father,  172. 

Oneida  Indians,  35. 

Orangemen,  the,  68,  125,  240. 

O’Reilly,  Monsignor  Bernard,  432. 

Party,  Native- American,  147,  228. 

Party,  the  Knownothing,  231. 


I 


INDEX 


627 


Party,  platform  of  Knownothing,  237. 

Paine,  Thomas,  46. 

Parishes,  founded  by  Hughes,  175. 

Parishes,  growth  of,  1895,  475. 

Parish,  the  modern,  438,  471. 

Parsons,  Rev.  Reuben,  432. 

Papal  loan,  381. 

Paulists,  the,  207,  349,  440,  506. 

Penet,  Peter,  35. 

Persecution  of  Catholics,  131,  230. 
Philanthropy,  American,  500. 

Physicians,  Catholic,  454. 

Pious  society  of  missions,  352. 

Pise,  Rev.  Constantine,  83, 102. 

Pius  IX,  223,  386. 

Pius  X,  611. 

Plessis,  Bishop  of  Quebec,  52. 

Politicians,  Catholic,  453. 

Political  parties,  1830,  108,  128. 

Pope’s  day,  14. 

Population,  Catholic,  1840,  90. 

Poughkeepsie  plan,  308,  334. 

Power,  Rev.  John,  60,  71,  169. 

Power,  the  temporal,  154,  218. 

Premium  books,  526. 

Press,  the  Catholic,  182,  522. 

The  Secular,  217,  222. 

Preston,  Monsignor,  252,  303,  432. 

Propaganda  confiscated,  388. 

Proselytism,  132,  183,  191,  603. 

Protectory,  the  Catholic,  339. 

Protection  of  American  Institutions,  league  for, 
540. 

Protestants,  attitude  of,  243. 

Protestant,  the,  128. 

Public  school  society,  185. 

Public  opinion  on  Catholics,  532. 

Purcell,  Archbishop,  384. 

Quebec  Act,  the.  2,  4. 

Quinn,  Monsignor,  33,  170,  302. 

Raffeiner,  Rev.  John,  83. 

Reading  circle  movement,  442. 

Recruiting  in  Ireland,  312. 

Redemptorists,  the,  200,  350. 

Redemptorists,  methods  of,  202. 

Register,  the,  84. 

Religious  conditions,  1835,  95. 

Religious  communities,  American,  347. 


Religious  communities,  female,  357. 

Report  of  Dubois  to  Propaganda,  80. 

Revival,  the  Catholic,  1880,  404. 

Richards,  Dr.  Havens,  254. 

Richards,  Rev.  John,  113. 

Roncetti,  Ablegate,  286. 

Root,  Hon.  Elihu,  555. 

Rondout  school,  334. 

Rosecrans,  General,  254. 

Rosary  Magazine,  the,  524. 

Rosary  Mission,  342,  443. 

Rumpler,  Rev.  Gabriel,  247. 

Sacred  Heart,  ladies  of  the,  195. 

Sadlier,  Mrs.  James,  397. 

Salesians,  the,  509. 

Sampson,  William,  70. 

Satolli,  Cardinal,  424,  486,  519,  546. 

Schools,  church,  1880,  332,  474. 

School  administration,  489. 

School  question,  the,  299,  329,  484. 

Schools,  church  and  private,  1830,  100,  184, 
187. 

Schneller,  Rev.  Dr.,  83. 

Schwenniger,  Rev.  Anthony,  305. 

Secret  societies,  non-Catholic,  327. 

Secret  societies,  Irish,  144,  162. 

Seminary,  Chelsea,  245. 

Seminary,  Nyack,  81. 

Seminary,  Lafargeville,  81. 

Seton,  Elisabeth  Bayley,  36. 

Seward,  William  H.,  111. 

Simeoni,  Cardinal,  387,  422,  543. 

Sisters  of  the  Cenacle,  510. 

Assumption,  510. 

Visitation,  510. 

St.  Agnes,  510. 

Providence,  510. 

Social  Position,  Catholic,  1835,  108. 

Soeurs  de  Misericorde,  510. 

Slander,  the  Cathedral  site,  410. 

Slave  question,  the,  365. 

Societies,  parish,  1860,  180. 

1880,  318. 

1895,  473. 

Social  celebrations,  319. 

Starrs,  Rev.  William,  302. 

Statistics,  diocesan,  1864,  156. 

St.  John,  Hector,  29. 


628 


INDEX 


St.  Helena,  order  of,  63. 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society,  189,  344,  496. 
Stone,  Rev.  James  Kent,  405. 

Sunday  Democrat,  the,  523. 
Sunday-schools,  1870,  317. 

Sunday  Union,  the,  523. 

Sulpicians,  the,  492. 

Synod,  First  New  York,  210. 

Pastoral  Letter  of,  212. 

Third  New  York,  366. 

Fourth  New  York,  373. 

Fifth  New  York,  418,  462. 

Synods,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth,  Ninth,  468. 
Summer  school,  the  Catholic,  442. 

Tablet,  the  New  York,  397,  522. 

Taylor,  Rev.  William,  58,  66,  72. 

Thayer,  Rev.  John,  113. 

Times,  the  Troy,  240. 

Toleration,  principle  of,  141. 

Tolerari  Posse  Decision,  487. 

Toussaint,  Pierre,  32. 

Trappists,  45,  51. 

Travel  in  New  York,  1830,  77. 

Trusteeism,  66,  76,  78,  82,  103,  572. 


Troy  Seminary,  335,  574. 
Truth-Teller,  the,  73,  76. 

Turner,  Peter,  98. 

Union,  the  Catholic,  321,  385. 
Ursulines,  the,  45,  51,  198. 

Ursuline  Woman’s  College,  490. 

Valiniere,  Rev.  Peter  De  la,  28,  46. 
Varela,  Rev.  Felix,  78. 

Vatican  Council,  383. 

Von  Compenhoudt,  Rev.  Francis,  173 

Wadhams,  Bishop,  249. 

Walworth,  Rev.  Clarence,  245,  248. 
Wayrich,  Rev.  Frederic,  446. 

Weld,  Thomas,  21. 

West  Point  chapel,  the,  539. 

Wharton,  Rev.  Charles,  50. 

Whelan,  Rev.  Charles,  27. 

Whitcher,  Rev.  Benjamin,  254. 

Young  Irelanders,  166. 

Zouaves,  Canadian  Papal,  382.  > 


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Boston  College 
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